• C A T A L O G U E •J U LY – D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5

Greetings from Osprey!

Having celebrated the publication of our 500th title in the Men-at-Arms series in the first half of 2015, there was another major development at the start of the year as Osprey Publishing was acquired by Bloomsbury – confirming a bright future for our iconic brand of military history publishing.

This year also sees the launch of our new Osprey Games division. Osprey Games has been set up to create board games, card games and a range of other exciting gaming products that stick to our key ideals – lavishly illustrated, high-quality products at extremely competitive prices. September sees the arrival of The King is Dead – a board game of politics, intrigue and dark plots set in Britain following the death of King Arthur as you try to gain control over the land. This is followed in October by the launch of They Come Unseen. Originally designed as a training game for the Royal Navy and featuring beautifully manufactured bespoke pieces They Come Unseen allows players to engage in battles between ships and submarines in an effort to win dominance over the seas. Osprey Games continues to publish our excellent wargaming lines including Bolt Action and the Osprey Wargames series.

In other news, Aircraft of the Aces and Combat Aircraft are getting an updated look and feel. For two decades these series have been firm favourites with aviation enthusiasts around the world – and the new covers and design will give them a new lease of life on your bookshelves and spinners. A selected number of backlist titles will also be rebranded in time for the series relaunch, with more updated books being added every month after that.

Alongside the return of the Fortress series, a new SAS biography and a deluxe atlas depicting the Eastern Front during World War II, the Osprey calendar returns for 2016 bigger, brighter and better than ever before.

Kind regards

Richard Sullivan Managing Director

Bestselling Books from 2014

ISBN: 978 1 84908 550 2 ISBN: 978 1 78200 931 3 ISBN: 978 1 4728 0913 1 ISBN: 978 1 4728 0133 3

ISBN: 978 1 78200 625 1 ISBN: 978 1 84908 859 6 ISBN: 978 1 4728 0334 4 ISBN: 978 1 78200 368 7

ContentsNew General Military – pp.1–4Gift Books – p.5Calendar – p.6Aircraft of the Aces / Combat Aircraft – pp.7–9Fortress p.10Men-at-Arms – p.11 Campaign – pp.12–13Warrior / Raid / Air Vanguard – p.14Combat – p.15 Elite – p.16Weapon / Command – p.17New Vanguard – pp.18–19Duel – p.20Osprey Games / Osprey Adventures – pp.21–30Backlist series / Full front list – pp.31–32

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The Regiment15 Years in the SAS

Author: Rusty FirminAvailable: July 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1131 8Price: £19.99 / $25.95 / CAN $30.00Period: Modern WarfareFormat: Hardback, 296ppIllustrations: 24pp plate section in colour and black and white

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The Pacific WarFrom Pearl Harbor to Okinawa

Author: Robert O’NeillForeword: Dale Dye Available: July 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1061 8Price: £6.99 / $9.95 / CAN $11.95Period: World War IIFormat: Paperback, 328ppIllustrations: 64pp plate section in colour and black and white

On December 7, 1941, Japanese fighter planes appeared from the clouds above Pearl Harbor and fundamentally changed the course of history; with this one surprise attack the previously isolationist America was irrevocably thrown into World War II.

This definitive history reveals each of the major battles that America would fight in the ensuing struggle against Imperial Japan, from the naval clashes at Midway and Coral Sea to the desperate, bloody fighting on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Each chapter reveals both the horrors of the battle and the Allies’ grim yet heroic determination to wrest victory from what often seemed to be certain defeat, offering a valuable guide to the long struggle for victory in the Pacific.

From its early beginnings in World War II, the Special Air Service (SAS) has won renown in some of the most dramatic, dangerous and controversial military special operations of the 20th century. It is a secretive and mysterious unit, whose operations and internal structures are hidden from the public eye. Now, one of its longest-serving veterans offers a glimpse into the shadowy world of the SAS. Rusty Firmin spent an incredible 15 years with ‘The Regiment’ and was a key figure in the assault on the Iranian Embassy in London in May 1980. He also served with the SAS in the Falklands and in Northern Ireland during the 1980s.

This is the unforgettable chronicle of Rusty’s combat experiences – a fascinating and intimate portrayal of what it was like to be part of the world’s most respected Special Operations Force.

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Germany AscendantThe Eastern Front 1915

Author: Prit ButtarAvailable: August 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0795 3 Price: £20.00 / $29.95 / CAN $35.00Period: World War IFormat: Hardback, 488ppIllustrations: 2 x 8pp plate sections in black and white

The massive offensives on the Eastern Front during 1915 are often overshadowed by the events in Western Europe, but the scale and ferocity of the clashes between Imperial Germany, Hapsburg Austria-Hungary and Tsarist Russia were ultimately as important to the final outcome of the war. Now, with the work of internationally renowned Eastern Front expert Prit Buttar, this story of the unknown side of World War I is finally being told.

In Germany Ascendant, Buttar examines the critical events of 1915, as the German Gorlice–Tarnow Offensive triggered the collapse of Russian forces, coming tantalizingly close to knocking Russia out of the war altogether. Throughout the year, German dominance on the Eastern Front grew – but stubborn Russian resistance forced the continuation of a two-front war that would drain Germany’s reserves of men and equipment. Packed with first-hand accounts and incredible new information, this is a staggeringly ambitious history of some of the most important moments of World War I.

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Finland at WarThe Winter War 1939–40

Authors: Vesa Nenye, Peter Munter, Toni Wirtanen Available: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0631 4Price: £25.00 / $34.95 / CAN $41.00Period: World War IIFormat: Hardback, 304ppIllustrations: Fully illustrated in colour and black and white

The story of the ‘Winter War’ between Finland and Soviet Russia is a dramatic David versus Goliath encounter. When close to half a million Soviet troops poured into Finland in 1939 it was expected that Finnish defences would collapse in a matter of weeks. But they held firm. The Finns not only survived the initial attacks but succeeded in inflicting devastating casualties before superior Russian numbers eventually forced a peace settlement.

This is a rigorously detailed and utterly compelling guide to Finland’s vital, but almost forgotten, role in the cataclysmic World War II. It reveals the untold story of iron determination, unparalleled skill and utter mastery of winter warfare that characterized Finland’s fight for survival on the hellish Eastern Front.

Finland at War: The Winter War 1939–40 is the premiere English-language history of the fighting performance of the Finns, drawing on first-hand accounts and previously unpublished photographs to explain just how they were able to perform military feats that nearly defy belief.

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American KnightsThe Untold Story of the Men of the Legendary 601st Tank Destroyer BattalionAuthor: Victor FailmezgerAvailable: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0935 3Price: £18.99 / $25.95 / CAN $30.00Period: World War IIFormat: Hardback, 352ppIllustrations: 48pp plate section in black and white

As the war swung in the favour of the Allies, it became clear that no final defeat of the Third Reich would be possible until the armoured monsters of the Panzerwaffe were defeated. But who would, or even could, take on the mighty Tigers and Panthers, just a handful of whom could stop entire formations in their tracks? The answer lay with the formation of a new type of unit, the Tank Destroyer Battalion.

This is the story of the men and machines who made up the very first Tank Destroyer Battalion, the 601st, from their unique training and formation to the final, desperate battles in the heart of Nazi Germany. Packed with rare material, letters, diaries and unpublished photographs, this is an intense and intimate chronicle of the men who fought the Panzers in an astonishing 10 campaigns and 546 days of lethal combat.

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The History of the Panzerwaffe Volume I: 1939–43Author: Thomas Anderson Available: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0812 7Price: £30.00 / $39.95 / CAN $48.00Period: World War IIFormat: Hardback, 304ppIllustrations: Fully illustrated in black and white

The Germans transformed armoured warfare from a lumbering and ponderous experiment in World War I into something that could decide the outcome of conflicts. This technical and operational history is the definitive guide to the legendary Panzerwaffe, from its very infancy to the days when it made Europe its garden path at the height of Nazi German power. With rare and revealing combat reports, along with photographs sourced from previously unseen private and archival collections, it uncovers the technical and operational stories of the formidable armoured beasts that formed the backbone of the German war machine – tanks such as the Panzer I, II and 38(t).

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The First BlitzBombing London in the First World War

Author: Ian CastleAvailable: October 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1529 3Price: £14.99 / $19.99 / CAN $23.99Period: World War IFormat: Hardback, 204ppIllustrations: Fully illustrated in colour and black and white

This book tells the story of Germany’s strategic air offensive against Britain, and how it came to be neutralized. The first Zeppelin attack on London came in May 1915 – and with it came the birth of a new arena of warfare, the ‘home front’. German airships attempted to raid London on 26 separate occasions between May 1915 and October 1917, but only reached the capital and bombed successfully on nine occasions. From May 1917 onwards, this theatre of war entered a new phase as German Gotha bombers set out to attack London in the first bomber raid. London’s defences were again overhauled to face this new threat, providing the basis for Britain’s defence during World War II.

This combined edition of two existing Osprey Campaign titles tells the story of the first aerial campaign in history, as first the famed Zeppelins, and then the Gotha and the massive Staaken ‘Giant’ bombers waged war against the civilian population of London in the first ever ‘Blitz’.

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Atlas of the Eastern Front1941–45Author: Robert KirchubelAvailable: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0774 8Price: £40.00 / $60.00 / CAN $68.00Period: World War IIFormat: Hardback, 304ppIllustrations: Fully illustrated in colour

From Operation Barbarossa in 1941 through to the final fall of Berlin in 1945, the war across the breadth and depth of the Eastern Front is brought to life through Osprey’s famously detailed cartography.

Over 100 detailed colour maps illustrate the course of the war as the German armoured spearheads surged to within touching distance of Moscow before being forced back; how they pressed on once more to the banks of the Volga before the disaster at Stalingrad; and the gradual retreat that culminated in the fall of Berlin. Meticulously researched, this atlas is indispensable for anyone interested in the Eastern Front during World War II.

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The In & OutA history of the Naval and Military Club

Author: Tim NewarkAvailable: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1509 5Price: £40.00 / $59.95 / CAN $68.00Period: Multi-periodFormat: Hardback, 208ppIllustrations: Fully illustrated in colour and black and white

The Naval and Military Club – or the ‘In & Out’ as it is affectionately known – is one of Britain’s greatest and oldest service clubs and this book tells its rich and entertaining history for the first time. Lavishly illustrated, it captures the essence of British style inside one of London’s grandest clubhouses – first with a famous home in Piccadilly and now in St James’s Square. Over 150 years, its members have included numerous Victoria Cross winners, triumphant generals and admirals, even bold explorers. There are intimate tales of brave soldiers and sailors – alongside a few rogues and accounts of scandalous behaviour!

THE

In&

OutA history of

the Naval and Military Club

T i m N e w a r k

Naval Military SubsBrochure.v4.indd 1 05/01/2015 14:04

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Don’t Hurry Me Down to HadesSoldiers and Families in America’s Civil War

Author: Susannah J. UralAvailable: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0910 0Price: £8.99 / $12.95 / CAN $15.95Period: American Civil WarFormat: Paperback, 288ppIllustrations: 32pp plate section in colour and black and white

For four years American families on both sides of the Mason–Dixon Line were forced to endure the violence and hardship of the Civil War. Don’t Hurry Me Down to Hades is the story of these families, expertly crafted from their own words. Revealing the innermost thoughts of both famous citizens and men and women forgotten by history, esteemed Civil War historian Susannah J. Ural explores life on the battlefield and the home front, capturing the astonishing perseverance of the men and women caught up in this most brutal of conflicts.

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Rising Sun, Falling SkiesThe disastrous Java Sea Campaign of World War II

Author: Jeffrey R. CoxAvailable: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1060 1Price: £8.99 / $14.95 / CAN $17.95Period: World War IIFormat: Paperback, 504ppIllustrations: 16pp plate section in black and white

Few events have ever shaken a country in the way that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor affected the United States. The Japanese forces then continued to overwhelm the Allies, attacking Malaya with its fortress of Singapore, and taking resource-rich islands in the Pacific in their own blitzkrieg offensive. Allied losses in these early months after America’s entry into the war were great, and among the most devastating were those suffered during the Java Sea Campaign, where a small group of Americans, British, Dutch, and Australians were isolated in the Far East – directly in the path of the Japanese onslaught. It would be the first major sea battle of World War II in the Pacific.

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Waterloo – The Decisive VictoryAuthor: Nick Lipscombe Available: Out NowISBN: 978 1 4728 0104 3Price: £35.00 / $49.95 / CAN $58.00Period: NapoleonicFormat: Hardback, 416ppIllustrations: Fully illustrated in colour and black and white

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The Peninsular War Atlas (Revised)Author: Nick LipscombeAvailable: Out NowISBN: 978 1 4728 0773 1Price: £45.00 / $75.00 / CAN $85.00Period: NapoleonicFormat: Hardback, 392ppIllustrations: Fully illustrated with colour maps

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The Battle of WaterlooAuthor: A Near Observer Available: Out NowISBN: 978 1 4728 0589 8 Price: £9.99 / $14.95 / CAN $17.95Period: NapoleonicFormat: Hardback, 288pp

PAPERBACK

EDITION!

PAPERBACK

EDITION!

The Napoleonic Wars

GIFT BOOKS5

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The Battle of WaterlooAuthor: A Near Observer Available: Out NowISBN: 978 1 4728 0589 8 Price: £9.99 / $14.95 / CAN $17.95Period: NapoleonicFormat: Hardback, 288pp

Spotter’s GuidesPerfect for Christmas

ISBN: 978 1 4728 0869 1

ISBN: 978 1 84908 222 8

ISBN: 978 1 78096 051 7

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WarriorsFighting men and their uniforms Author: Martin WindrowAvailable: October 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1297 1Price: £9.99 / $14.95 / CAN $17.95Period: Multi-periodFormat: Hardback, 320ppIllustrations: Fully illustrated in colour

From ancient times to the present day, the world’s finest warriors have been marked out by a stunning variety of dress, tactics and equipment. This splendid collection of artwork and commentaries illustrates 100 of the most famous combatants from all the ages of military history, bringing them to life in incredible colour and detail. From the gleaming plate armour of the Roman Legionaries to the sleek gear of modern special ops forces, from the magnificent attire of Seminole warriors to the special aquatic equipment of the US Navy SEALs, this is an unmissable tour of history’s most impressive fighting men.

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SpitfireAuthor: Tony Holmes Available: Out NowISBN: 978 1 4728 1279 7Price: £5.99 / $11.95 / CAN $13.95Period: World War IIFormat: Hardback, 144ppIllustrations: Fully illustrated in colour and black and white

The Spitfire is an icon of World War II. It was a beautiful and effective fighter aircraft that became the darling of the British public, defending the skies during the Battle of Britain in deadly, swirling dogfights with the fighters of Nazi Germany. The Spitfire’s combat ability and superb handling meant it was loved by British, Canadian and American pilots alike. This is a complete reference guide to the world’s most famous fighter aircraft, exploring its history, its strengths and weaknesses and its combat performance in battles all over the world. Drawing on a wealth of research, detailed illustrations and contemporary photographs, this book reveals how the Spitfire became a legend of military aviation.

OBK

The Story of Santa ClausAuthor: Joseph A. McCullough Available: Out NowISBN: 978 1 4728 0342 9Price: £8.99 / $14.95 / CAN $17.95Format: Hardback, 80ppIllustrations: Fully illustrated in colour and black and white

The Story of Santa Claus is the perfect

Christmas stocking filler for anyone who has ever wondered how a red-clad, bearded and big-bellied jovial gent famed for his reindeer driving and chimney climbing came to be the face of Christmas. This magical book traces the origins of Saint Nicholas in a winding, fantastical tale filled with mystery, joy and goodwill towards all men, as Joseph A. McCullough travels across the world (stopping off at the North Pole of course) to uncover the exploits of a figure that has brought so much joy to countless children over the years.

Sure to fill even the most jaded scrooges with a little bit of Christmas magic, settle back in front of the fire, stock up on the mince pies and eggnog and prepare for an enchanting evening that the whole family will enjoy!

Price: £4.99 / $9.95 / CAN $11.95

MILITARY HISTORY CALENDAR 20166

For 2016 the Osprey Calendar returns with 12 pieces of our famous, signature artwork, including works from the likes of Peter Dennis, Graham Turner, Steve Noon and Howard Gerrard.

Featuring the same level of fantastic artwork as before but in a bigger, brighter format – as specifically requested by our customers – the 2016 Osprey Publishing Military History Calendar is the perfect gift for Osprey fans and military history enthusiasts everywhere!

• Size closed: 300mm x 300mm • Size opened: 300mm x 600mm• Month-to-view• Spiral bound• Full-colour printing

Price: £9.99 / $14.99 / CAN $17.99ISBN: 978 1 4728 1508 8

MARCH Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, magna philosophia cu eam. His tamquam invenire disputando eu. Pro cu postea tractatos mnesarchum. Ut vim debitis posidonium sadipscing, quo case facilis tibique cu, atqui suscipit complectitur no mei. Ne errem adipisci accusata ius, eam scripta offendit moderatius et, sit audire euismod comprehensam cu. In pri mutat repudiare euripidis. Augue vitae graecis mel in, prima iisque est an.Corpora facilisis concludaturque has et. Te quod vocent similique ius. Sapientem patrioque his eu, te quas animal platonem mel. Ad lorem nostrum mei, an etiam omnium has. No sit quem feugiat. Et malis ancillae quo, sea

BRITISH PARATROOPERS 1950

2016

FEBRUARYLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, magna philosophia cu eam. His tamquam invenire disputando eu. Pro cu postea tractatos mnesarchum. Ut vim debitis posidonium sadipscing, quo case facilis tibique cu, atqui suscipit complectitur no mei. Ne errem adipisci accusata ius, eam scripta offendit moderatius et, sit audire euismod comprehensam cu. In pri mutat repudiare euripidis. Augue vitae graecis mel in, prima iisque est an.

Corpora facilisis concludaturque has et. Te quod vocent similique ius. Sapientem patrioque his eu, te quas animal platonem mel. Ad lorem nostrum mei, an etiam omnium has. No sit quem feugiat. Et malis ancillae quo, sea

E BOAT RAID 1944

2016

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

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Notes

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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JANUARYLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, magna philosophia cu eam. His tamquam invenire disputando eu. Pro cu postea tractatos

mnesarchum. Ut vim debitis posidonium sadipscing, quo case facilis tibique cu, atqui suscipit

complectitur no mei. Ne errem adipisci accusata ius, eam scripta offendit moderatius et, sit audire euismod

comprehensam cu. In pri mutat repudiare euripidis. Augue vitae graecis mel in, prima iisque est an.

Corpora facilisis concludaturque has et. Te quod vocent similique ius. Sapientem patrioque his eu, te quas

animal platonem mel. Ad lorem nostrum mei, an etiam omnium has. No sit quem feugiat. Et malis ancillae quo, sea

ASSAULT ON THE ANGIVARIAN WALL, AD 16

2016

AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES & COMBAT AIRCRAFT REBRANDED

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For over two decades, both the iconic Aircraft of the Aces series and the Combat Aircraft series have been the source for information on the greatest warplanes and pilots of history. Both series continue to thrive and now number over 100 titles – and growing – in each series. This year Aircraft of the Aces and Combat Aircraft are being given a dramatic overhaul, making the look and feel of the books much more modern to continue to grow their appeal to aviation fans around the world. Featuring the same level of fantastic cover-artwork that our fans have come to know and love but with a fresh, new design and an ambitious re-launch programme, 2015 will be an exciting year for two of Osprey’s best-loved series.

Alongside the rebranded launch titles, we will also be re-jacketing some of the most popular best-sellers in the series over the next year – so that new customers will be able to discover these great titles all over again!

Don't forget that you can view a full list of our aviation titles by following this link: www.ospreypublishing.com/stocklist

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the core of the F-105’s success, excelling in reliability and enabling the

aircraft to outdistance any rival fighter at low altitude thanks to the jet’s

top speed of 700+ mph. It also gave the aircraft enough muscle to haul

5000 lbs of ordnance and 900 gallons of externally-carried fuel over a

650-mile combat radius. The F-105’s large fuel capacity did, however,

pose limitations in combat, as a 388th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) pilot

noted. ‘You are either too heavy with fuel to be manoeuvrable or too short

on fuel at fighting weight to make it back home successfully’.

Although overall weight in the final operational version (the F-105G)

reached 54,600 lbs, the aircraft still used the same engine. And although the

J75 developed tremendous power, the Thunderchief ’s acceleration from low

speed in combat was comparatively slow unless the pilot nosed over into a

dive. The F-105 also bled off speed very rapidly in a turn or steep climb.

Chief designer Alex Kartveli, creator of the P-47 Thunderbolt, designed

a 63-ft long fuselage for the first production model, the F-105B, using

semi-monocoque construction and ‘area-rule’ to reduce transonic drag. It

contained a pressurised cockpit, gun installation, avionics, a 16-ft long

weapons bay, fuel tanks and the massive engine and afterburner. Four-

petal extending airbrakes were installed at the rear to slow the aircraft for

weapons delivery or to enable safe aircrew ejection. The two side ‘petals’

extended as airbrakes for landing, although a 20-ft diameter ring-slot

braking parachute provided most of the retarding force after touchdown.

The F-105’s fairly conventional structure used panels that were milled to

the exact thickness required for optimum strength and lightness.

The wing, swept at 45 degrees, was 385 square ft in area – small for

such a large airframe – and thin for high speeds. It provided stable, fast

flight at low altitudes for the tactical nuclear mission in which turning

performance was not a priority. However, the wing inevitably limited the

F-105’s ability to tackle much more manoeuvrable opposition such as the

MiG-17s that it would fight over North Vietnam. As one 355th TFW

pilot noted ruefully, ‘air-to-air combat is still a turning game. The airplane

that turns the best has the advantage’.

In order to provide clearance on rotation for the ventral fin beneath the

rear fuselage the wing was mid-mounted, requiring a long, stalky

undercarriage. This gave marginal clearance for a multiple ejector rack

(MER) with up to six 750-lb bombs or a 450- or 650-gallon fuel tank

When the United States’ intervention in Laos and Vietnam

gathered momentum in 1965 the Republic F-105

Thunderchief was the USAF’s primary fighter-bomber,

having by then entered service with 24 operational squadrons and five

training units. The aircraft had originally been purchased as an all-weather

strike fighter, delivering tactical nuclear weapons and fighting its way past

enemy interceptors on the return journey – if it survived the multiple

nuclear detonations caused by many similar aircraft. For this mission it

had an internal bomb-bay (unlike other contemporary fighters) and a 20

mm rotary cannon, and AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles could also be carried

for self-protection.

The F-105’s prolonged development delayed its initial operational

service until January 1959, but by 1964 it was well established in frontline

USAF nuclear alert squadrons in Europe and the Far East. Single-seat

versions remained in production until January 1965.

An initial contract for 199 F-105As was awarded in September 1952

and the prototype made its first flight on 22 October 1955. The first two

YF-105As flew with interim Pratt & Whitney J57-P-25 engines, but the

third prototype and all subsequent F-105s had Pratt & Whitney’s J75,

which developed up to 26,500 lbs of thrust with afterburner and air-

cooling water injection. The J75 made the aircraft the largest and most

powerful single-engined fighter of its time. In combat this powerplant was

Wearing the yellow tail band of the

Kadena-based 18th TFW, which detached

Thunderchiefs from its 12th, 44th and

67th TFS to Korat from February to

October 1965, these F-105Ds carry M117

bombs (foreground) and AGM-12B Bullpup

missiles for a North Vietnam strike. Seen

here furthest from the camera, F-105D

62-4284 became a triple MiG killer in

1967, with two victories being credited to

Capt Max Brestel and a third to Capt Gene

I Basel. The nearest aircraft (62-4231)

was shot down by an SA-2 on 27 October

1967 during the same mission on which

Capt Basel claimed his MiG-17. One of

four F-105D casualties that day, Col John

Flynn, leading the mission as 388th TFW

vice-commander, was rolling into his

bombing dive on the Canal des Rapides

Bridge when the missile struck 62-4231

(USAF)

The 4th TFW introduced both the F-105B

and F-105D to frontline service. In August

1965 it joined the 18th and 23rd TFWs

and 41st AD in deploying Thunderchiefs

temporarily to Takhli and Korat, in

Thailand. Many of the 4th TFW’s 334th

TFS F-105s had been camouflaged by

then, retaining blue fin bands with white

stars, but 61-0105, later the mount of MiG

killer Col Bob Scott, was still silver. The

limited MiG activity at that time obviated

the carriage of AIM-9B missiles (USAF)

C H A P T E R O N E

THUNDERCHIEF

9

C H A P T E R : 1 THUNDERCHIEF 8

Search and Ranging Radar System (NASARR). A 15-inch nose extension housed the R-14A radar scanner in a larger radome, replacing the E-34. Its Doppler inertial capability gave the pilot constantly updated information on his location, and it became a vital, if somewhat temperamental, navigational aid in poor visibility.Over North Vietnam the radar was often turned off as it triggered radar-warning apparatus in other F-105s in the formation. The radar could, in theory, work with the ‘guns-air’ setting on the armament selection switch, but in combat many pilots found that it did not provide reliable information for the gunsight when operated below 10,000 ft (where most MiG engagements took place) due to interference from ground returns. Unless the pilot used the full radar lock-on mode the gunsight did not compensate for bullet drop over a long-distance trajectory.In Vietnam, visual rather than radar-only identification of a potential aerial target was usually required.Installation of the new AN/ASG-19 Thunderstick fire-control system and its avionics filled the space previously occupied by the M61A1 gun in the F-105B, resulting in the weapon being moved further back into the fuselage of the jet. D-models also had a revised cockpit layout, with some of the traditional instrument dials replaced by two vertical tape displays for quick speed and altitude reference.The delivery of F-105Ds to the USAF commenced in March 1961 when the first examples were issued to the 4520th Combat Crew Training Wing at Nellis AFB. The first operational F-105D wing was the 36th TFW at Bitburg AB, West Germany, which received its first jets on 12 May 1961. Within four years many of its aircraft were transferred to Thailand-based combat wings for Vietnam War duties. In 1961 the USAF planned to equip 14 tactical fighter wings with the new F-105D, but President John F Kennedy’s administration with its cost-cutting Defence Secretary, Robert McNamara, reduced the total to eight wings, equipping the rest with F-4 Phantom IIs. Only 610 F-105Ds were manufactured,

beneath the fuselage. It also meant a long climb up to the cockpit as the canopy was more than 12 ft above the ground – the same height as the tip of a static MiG-17’s tail! Two pylons could be attached below each outer wing (the undercarriage retracted inwards into the inboard wing space) and the outer pylons were usually used in combat for one or two AN/ALQ-87 electronic countermeasures pods or an AIM-9B Sidewinder. The inboard wing sections contained engine air intakes, uniquely configured with inward-slanting lips.Flight controls included ailerons, which operated with five-section spoilers above each wing for roll control at subsonic speeds. At higher speeds the spoilers provided all the roll control. Fowler training-edge flaps were used for takeoff and landing, and for additional lift during manoeuvring flight or, used individually, to assist with roll control. The one-piece horizontal tail was mounted low to avoid wing turbulence and the vertical fin had a rudder operated, like the other control systems, by hydraulic power from three separate systems.For its original nuclear strike mission no protection was required for these systems, so their supply lines were run virtually parallel in the aircraft’s lower fuselage. In combat this would result in many losses when hydraulic lines were hit, so another, physically separated, back-up system was added later. A Republic-designed pilot recovery system, modifying the flying controls to prevent their loss after hydraulic damage, was demonstrated at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB) in April 1967 and gradually retrofitted to all surviving F-105s.

F-105DWeapons delivery avionics in the noses of the 75 production F-105Bs, delivered to the 4th TFW from June 1959, consisted of an MA-8 fire-control system using an E-50 sighting system (in conjunction with an E-34 radar ranging system) and an E-30 toss bombing computer. By the time the B-model entered frontline service the USAF’s attention was focused on the all-weather F-105D using the R-14 North American

Many of the early pilots and aircraft assigned to the Vietnam War effort were transferred from the two USAFE F-105 wings. F-105D 60-0490, seen here in its original bare metal finish, first flew with the 36th TFW at Bitburg AB, West Germany. Unpainted aircraft were easier for the ground control approach radars to ‘skin paint’ if the jet’s radar transponder was inoperative. Bitburg’s F-105s were replaced by F-4 Phantom IIs from 1965, while the 49th TFW at Spangdahlem began to transfer its assets to Thailand at the end of 1966. This aircraft later flew with the 354th TFS/355th TFW from Takhli, bearing RM tail codes and the nickname Captain Radio/Nuk’Em (USAF)

The restricted view from the rear cockpit reduced the F-105F’s effectiveness for training. Students flew their first three sorties as back-seat observers, followed by flights with the instructor flying ‘chase’ in another aircraft, rather than risking his well-being in the F-105F’s back seat! In this F-105F the rear canopy has been blanked off by the radiation/flash shield used for nuclear weapons delivery. After service with the 36th TFW (seen here), 63-8301 was transferred to the 355th TFW. Maj Leo Thorsness and Capt Harold Johnson flew it on the Wild Weasel mission that saw Thorsness shoot down a MiG-17, with good circumstantial evidence of a second kill, and perform the acts of bravery that resulted in him being awarded the Medal of Honor (Author’s collection)

11

C H A P T E R T W O GeneSiS10

The first flight took place on 3 July, and subsequent testing also proved

to be successful. After two months the V3 was flown to Einswarden, on

the North Sea coast, for seaworthiness trials on an actual sea. The Do 24’s

behaviour in rough conditions impressed observers of the MLD, whose

‘dreamboat’ had come true. Only minor modifications were required

before the V3 was accepted by the customer as the first Do 24K-1 service

aircraft on 15 October 1937, barely three months after its first flight. Ferry

flights to the NEI were decided against for crew availability reasons, which

meant that the V3 was shipped out straight from Hamburg in November

instead, entering MLD service as Her Majesty’s Flying Boat X-1. The V4

prototype first flew on 2 February 1938, becoming X-2.

With Japan increasingly seen as a threat to the NEI, the ‘X-boat’

programme was gaining importance as a major Dutch defence project, the

total requirement eventually amounting to 96 aircraft. As licence

production by the Aviolanda company in Holland took time to get under

way, the initial order for six from Dornier was increased to 30 in 1939.

The Dutch enthusiasm for the aircraft was not shared, however, by the

RLM. The BV 138 had already been declared the winner of the German

seaplane competition in September 1937, despite the impressive

seaworthiness demonstrated by the

Do 24 as opposed to the serious

stability problems that dogged the

‘Flying Clog’.Powered by Junkers Jumo 205C

engines of only 600 hp (rather than

the 880 hp Wright R-1820-F52

Cyclone radials used by the MLD

aircraft), the Do 24 V1 first flew on

10 January 1938. The brief

evaluation of the diesel-powered Do

24 that took place shortly thereafter

could not reverse the RLM’s

decision. The Do 24 V1 and V2

were subsequently used as test beds

although only as interim equipment. Both the RLM and the Dutch navy

wanted a more formidable, seaworthy machine, the MLD’s ‘dreamboat’

having a maximum speed of 196 mph (the Do 18s could manage just 155

mph) and three or four engines for good one-engine-out performance. The

latter requirement ruled out a new American flying boat that largely fitted

the bill – the Consolidated PBY.

Substantial contracts for up to 72 aircraft were at stake, and three

manufacturers submitted proposals, with Sikorsky’s apparently failing to

impress the Dutch navy. The Fokker BV looked good on paper, but it

would have been difficult for the struggling Dutch manufacturer to have

built such a machine as the company had still to make the transition to

monocoque metal. From the outset the MLD favoured the Dornier P.14

design (the future Do 24), which was declared the winner in August 1935.

The RLM, on the other hand, had already developed a preference for the

rival Hamburger Flugzeugbau Ha 138 (Blohm & Voss BV 138), and the

Do 24’s development was only allowed to continue because the Dutch

government signed contracts in August 1936 committing to the purchase

of six aircraft and the acquisition of a production licence.

Four prototypes were laid down, the V3 and V4 being the first two Do 24K

aircraft for the MLD, fitted with Wright Cyclone engines for commonality

with other Dutch aircraft. The V1 and V2 for the RLM got low priority, and

thus the V3 became the first to be completed, performing high-speed taxi trials

on Lake Constance on 2 July 1937, piloted by Erich Gundermann.

The new flying boat featured an elegantly curved fuselage with a twin-

finned tail similar to that of the Do 17 bomber, as well as Dornier’s

trademark Stummeln which removed the need for outboard floats. Fuel

tanks in the sponsons and central wing section fed the three 880 hp Wright

R-1820-F52 Cyclone radials on the parasol wing. The fuselage or hull was

divided into nine watertight compartments and equipped for a crew of

five or six, with two pilots in compartment two, a radio operator and a

navigator in compartment three, a flight engineer in compartment four

and an optional full-time tail gunner in compartment nine. Nose and

dorsal gun positions were provided in compartments one and seven.

Amidships, compartments five and six were fitted out as crew cabins, with

five bunks allowing personnel to sleep in the aircraft when operating away

from base – passengers could also be seated here. Compartment seven

doubled as a galley.

Some pilots likened the do 24 to a ‘flying

U-boat’, but seaworthiness trials held with

the V3 prototype in the north Sea in

September 1937 impressed dutch and

German observers alike (T Postma)the first do 24 to fly in July 1937, the

Wright Cyclone-powered V3 was delivered

to the dutch navy after barely three

months of testing and was shipped to the

east indies before the end of the year (T

Postma)

the 600 hp Junkers Jumo 205C diesel

engines fitted to the do 24 V1 and V2

prototypes were fuel efficient, but heavy

and unresponsive (T Postma)

ACE 114Ki-61 and Ki-100 Aces Author: Nicholas MillmanIllustrator: Ronnie OlsthoornAvailable: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 78096 295 5

This is the story of the elite Japanese Army Air force (JAAF) aces that flew the Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Swallow), and the Ki-100 Goshikisen in the Pacific Theatre of World War II. This book uses the latest findings to provide

a gripping account of some of the most remarkable and hard-pressed fighter pilots of the war. It reveals how these men, unlike so many of their unfortunate late-war colleagues, could surprise Allied aircraft in high-performance fighters and claim successes in the face of enormous odds.

ACE 124Arctic Bf 109 and Bf 110 Aces Author and Illustrator: John WealAvailable: December 2015ISBN: 978 1 78200 798 2

Once Nazi Germany had conquered Norway in 1940, just a handful of Gruppen flying the Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighters were able to shatter all opposition and dominate the air in the Arctic Circle. Yet as the dual

threats from the RAF across the North Sea, and the Red Air Force in the East grew, the Luftwaffe was forced to increase its fighter presence to full Geschwader strength with the formation of JG 5 Eismeer (Ice-sea) in early 1942. The struggle for the frozen skies of the arctic raged on until the end of the war as the embattled JG 5 produced some of the Eastern Front’s leading experten, pilots of the calibre of Theodor Weissenberger, Heinrich Ehrler, Walter Schuck, Franz Dörr and Jakob Norz all achieving over 100 kills and all listed here. Featuring first-hand accounts from the pilots, extensive research from a leading authority on the Luftwaffe, and illustrations of the aircraft in sumptuous winter camouflage, this book is a comprehensive guide to the Arctic Experten and the planes they flew.

AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES8

Books in the Aircraft of the Aces series delve into the achievements of the best pilots flying some of the most iconic aircraft in history. First-hand accounts lend the narrative an urgency and sense of reality as each title describes daring dogfights, glorious successes and heroic failures.

Each book contains:• Photographs and diagrams• First-hand accounts from pilots on both sides of the conflict• Over 30 specially commissioned original colour artwork plates

Price: £13.99 / $22.95 / CAN $27.95

ACE 127Polish Spitfire AcesAuthor: Wojtek MatusiakIllustrator: Robert GrudzienAvailable: July 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0837 0

Of all Allied airmen, Polish pilots had had the most experience of fighting the Luftwaffe by the time the war came to Britain. As the Battle of Britain raged, they quickly proved themselves as

highly aggressive and skilful interceptors, especially when flying the famous Spitfire. The Polish Air Force eventually became the largest non-Commonwealth Spitfire operator, using some 1,500 Mks I, II, V, IX and XVI to devastating effect. From an expert on Polish fighter aviation, this is a peerless account of the fiery, talented Polish “Spit” pilots, whose country had been overrun and whose aggression and determination to shoot down Axis aircraft was unmatched.

Dornier Do 24 UnitsPeter de Jong

CoMBAtAirCrAFt110

SerieS editor tony HolmeS

NEW LOOK BACKLIST!

COMBAT AIRCRAFT 9

Books in the Combat Aircraft series concentrate on one of the greatest aircraft in aviation history, the technology behind it and the men who flew it, providing a valuable resource for anyone interested in military aviation history.

Each book contains:• At least 30 specially commissioned, full-colour profile artwork plates• First-hand accounts from pilots, aircrew and groundcrew• Photographs

Price: £13.99 / $22.95 / CAN $27.95

COM 111A-10 Thunderbolt II Units of Operation Enduring Freedom 2008-14Author: Gary WetzelIllustrator: Jim LaurierAvailable: August 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0573 7

The untold story of A-10 units in Operation Enduring Freedom reaches its conclusion with this second of

two volumes focusing on the type’s combat missions in Afghanistan. Featuring numerous first-hand accounts and photography from those who experienced the conflict, along with imagery from official military archives, this book offers a unique and detailed insight into the record of the A-10 in one of the 21st Century’s most significant conflicts. Initially, the A-10 Thunderbolt was not a favourite of the USAF, which, prior to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, was hoping to shunt this Cold War relic onto the US Army and Marine Corps. But since then the ‘Warthog’, with its formidable armament, ruggedness and flexibility, has continually proven itself in combat and evolved into the world’s premiere close support aircraft. In 2002 the Thunderbolt was at the forefront of Operation Enduring Freedom, the US occupation of Afghanistan.

COM 110Dornier Do 24 Units Author: Peter de JongIllustrator: Chris DaveyAvailable: July 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0570 6

Perhaps the most seaworthy flying boat ever built, the elegant, tri-motor Dornier Do 24 served with both the Allied and Axis forces in very different parts of the globe during World War 2, garnering an excellent reputation

along the way. This study uses archival records, first-hand accounts and revealing photographs to illuminate the combat career of this remarkable aircraft for the first time in English. The German-built Do 24 was the Netherlands Navy’s principal aerial asset during the Japanese invasion of the East Indies. While the survivors of that ordeal served in the Australian Air force, in occupied Holland and France production continued apace and the Do 24 equipped the German Air-Sea rescue service, whose crews loved and respected the machine. The type witnessed the rise and fall of the Luftwaffe over all the European seas, took part in the desperate evacuations of Wehrmacht troops on the Baltic in the face of the overwhelming Soviet advance, and was pressed out of service only with the withdrawal of Spanish Do 24s in 1969. This volume tells the long and eventful story of the faithful Do 24 in full.

COM 112Luftwaffe Mistel Composite Bomber UnitsAuthor: Robert ForsythIllustrator: Jim LaurierAvailable: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0846 2

The striking appearance of Luftwaffe’s ‘Mistel’ Composite attack aircraft might seem ridiculous to modern eyes, but employed correctly, these original ‘fire and forget’ weapons were

devastatingly effective, as Allied sources testify. This book draws on a wealth of first-hand reports and revealing contemporary photographs to tell the full, strange story of the Mistel units. They were the product of a remarkable mix of desperation and innovation, and were actually grounded in a pre-war, non-military practise – the mounting of one aircraft atop another was initially conceived to extend the ranges of passenger and mail-carrying aircraft. But as early as 1942, German planners saw the potential for use as a guided missile, and by the end of the war, the sight of a Ju-88 lashed to a BF 109 or FW 190 fighter bearing down on an Allied target was not as rare as one might expect. This is a comprehensive account of the Mistel units, from their design and development, through the first deployments at D-Day, to the last, desperate missions against key bridges on the Oder and the Neisse in the final weeks of the war.

COM 113F-51 Mustang Units of the Korean WarAuthor: Warren ThompsonIllustrator: Chris DaveyAvailable: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0866 0

By the time the Korean War erupted, the F-51 Mustang was seen as obsolete, but that view quickly changed when the USAF rushed 145 of them to the theatre in late 1950. They had

the endurance to attack targets in Korea from bases in Japan, where the modern F-86 fighters and other jets did not. Rather than the interceptor and escort fighter roles the Mustang had performed during World War 2, in the Korean War they were assigned to ground attack missions – striking at communist troop columns advancing south. This is the chronicle of the Mustang units that fought in the Korean War, detailing the type’s involvement in a series of intense actions, its successes and its considerable losses. Drawing on meticulous research and gripping first-hand accounts from aircrew, this book explains how the faithful Mustang was able to roll back the years, fight, and prove itself in a new era of aerial warfare.

FORTRESS10

Each book in the Fortress series examines the history, evolution, military architecture and natural setting of some of the world’s most important fortification systems. Covering fortresses throughout history, from ancient times through to the modern day, this series is ideal for military historians, modellers, wargamers and fortification enthusiasts.

Each book contains:• Specially commissioned full-colour cutaway artwork • Detailed maps, diagrams and cross-sections• Photographs and illustrations

Price: £11.99 / $18.95 / CAN $22.99

FOR 108Germany’s East Wall in World War IIAuthor: Neil ShortIllustrator: Adam HookAvailable: July 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0586 7

The East Wall was where the final battles for the stricken Third Reich were fought, amid scenes of utter carnage. Beginning life at the end of World War I, the wall became a pet

project of Adolf Hitler’s, whose ascent to power saw building work accelerated, with plans for a grand, ‘Maginot-style’ defence put in place. But with a characteristically erratic change of heart, Hitler began to systematically strip the wall of its best defensive assets to bolster the Atlantic Wall, never dreaming that he would face an attack on two fronts. Despite belated and somewhat bungled reinforcements later in the War, the Eastern Wall would face a monstrous challenge as it became the Reich’s last redoubt in the face of the mighty Soviet war machine. Neil Short brings his expert knowledge to bear with an analysis of different stages of the wall’s construction, the years of neglect and decay and the hasty, drastic redevelopment in the face of the looming Soviet threat.

FOR 109The Atlantic Wall (3)The Sudwall

Author: Steven J. ZalogaIllustrator: Adam HookAvailable: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1146 2

This book completes the story of one of the most formidable defensive lines in Europe in World War II, looking at the lesser known Mediterranean extension and describing how it was conceived

of, built and used. After the alarming collapse of Italy in 1943, the Germans launched a crash building program and the ‘Sudwall’ (South Wall) sprang up quickly along the French Mediterranean coast and the neighbouring Italian coast around Genoa. The new defenses were bolstered by existing French fortifications of key port towns such as Marseilles and Toulon – many of them bristling with heavy artillery. Whilst describing the wall’s physical design features, this book also recounts the defenses’ role in the Allied invasion of Southern France; Operation Dragoon – ‘The Second D-Day’. As the Germans’ worst fears became a reality, the southern Atlantic Wall would face its ultimate test.

FOR 98ISBN: 978 1 84603 956 0

FOR 96ISBN: 978 1 84603 930 0

FOR 101ISBN: 978 1 84908 197 9

FOR 95ISBN: 978 1 84603 503 6

FOR 93ISBN: 978 1 84603 504 3

FOR 103ISBN: 978 1 84908 412 3

FOR 38ISBN: 978 1 84176 883 0

FOR 7ISBN: 978 1 84176 576 1

FOR 24ISBN: 978 1 84176 760 4

FOR 99ISBN: 978 1 84603 687 3

FOR 33ISBN: 978 1 84176 839 7

FOR 36ISBN: 978 1 84176 838 0

The Fortress series is back by popular demand!

Men-at-Arms 11

The Men-at-Arms series remains the figurehead of the Osprey line. Having run for over 45 years – and having reached its 500th title this year – it is as popular today as it was when the series was first born. Packed with specially commissioned artworks, photographs, maps and diagrams, this enduring series covers a staggering array of historical periods, soldiers and warriors and remains an unrivalled illustrated reference on the organization, uniform and equipment of men at war throughout history.

Each book contains:• Photographs and illustrations• Specially commissioned full-colour artwork plates• Detailed analysis of uniforms and organization

Price: £9.99 / $17.95 / CAN $21.50

MAA 501Armies of the Greek-Turkish War 1919–22Author: Philip JowettIllustrator: Stephen WalshAvailable: July 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0684 0

This is a comprehensive guide to the armies that fought a devastating and decisive conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean between the two World Wars of the 20th century. From the

initial Greek invasion, designed to “liberate” the 100,000 ethnic Greeks that lived in Western Turkey and had done for centuries, to Mustapha Kemal AtatÜrk’s incredibly efficient formation of a national government and a regular army, this was a war that shaped the geopolitical landscape of the Mediterranean to this day. It gave birth to the modern Turkish state, displacing millions and creating bitter memories of atrocities committed by both sides. Augmented with very rare photographs and beautiful illustrations, this ground-breaking title explores the history, organization, and appearance of the armies, both guerrilla and conventional, that fought in this bloody war.

MAA 502Byzantine Naval Forces 1261–1461Author: Raffaele D’AmatoIllustrator: Igor DzisAvailable: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0728 1

After the recapture of Constantinople, Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos was determined to bring glory back to the Byzantine Empire. To achieve this, he established an Imperial Fleet

and raised new regiments of elite marine troops. This work provides a comprehensive, illustrated guide to the unit history and appearance of these men, who were at the cutting edge of the last great flourish of Byzantine naval power. They won victory after victory in campaigns throughout the 1260s-70s, and though successive periods of decline and partial resurrection followed, these marine units survived until the very last flickers of Byzantine resistance were extinguished. Drawing upon early literary sources, the rich evidence of period illuminated manuscripts, frescoes and other iconography, Raffaele D’Amato details the lasting legacy of the swansong of Byzantine naval power.

MAA 503Hitler’s Russian & Cossack Allies 1941–45Author: Nigel ThomasIllustrator: Johnny ShumateAvailable: October 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0687 1

Given the merciless way in which the war on the Eastern Front of World War II was conducted, it is difficult to envisage anyone changing sides during the conflict. Yet after the German

invasion of Russia in Operation Barbarossa, well over 400,000 former Soviet citizens went on to fight for Nazi Germany. These included not only the ‘legions’ recruited from non-Russian ethnic groups eager for freedom from Stalin’s dictatorship, but also some 100,000 Russians and Cossacks. What began as small local security units of ‘Ostruppen’, enrolled for the ongoing campaigns against Soviet partisans, were later reorganized, given special systems of uniform and insignia, amalgamated into larger formations, and eventually committed to the front line. This book offers up an essential guide to the appearance, formation and equipment of the myriad Russian and Soviet units that fought for the Germans. It uses rare photographs and revealing colour illustrations to create a peerless visual reference to the troops who switched from one ruthless superpower to another and met with a horrific fate when the fighting was over.

MAA 500ISBN: 978 1 4728 0419 8

MAA 499ISBN: 978 1 4728 0725 0

MAA 497ISBN: 978 1 4728 0106 7

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The Osprey Campaign series examines some of the most important military clashes from ancient warfare through to modern combat. Each book explores the origins of a conflict, the commanders and forces involved and breaks down the military events of the campaign into an accessible and detailed analysis.

Each book contains:• Photographs and illustrations• Specially commissioned battlescene artwork• Original battlefield maps• 3D bird’s-eye-view illustrations

Price: £14.99 / $21.95 / CAN $25.95

CAM 282Leyte 1944Return to the Philippines

Author: Clayton ChunIllustrator: Giuseppe RavaAvailable: July 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0690 1

The loss of the Philippines in 1942 was the worst defeat in American military history. General Douglas MacArthur, the ‘Lion of Luzon’, was evacuated by order of the President just before

the fall, but he vowed to return, and in August 1944 he kept his word. MacArthur led what was, at the time, the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific War on the island of Leyte. This is the full story of that fateful battle, one of the most ferocious campaigns of World War II and one of huge strategic and symbolic significance. In the face of stubborn Japanese resistance, including the first systematic use of kamikaze attacks, the US forces ground slowly forwards before another amphibious assault took the vital position of Ormoc in the last decisive battle of the campaign. Based on extensive research in the US Army’s Military History Institute, along with other archival and veteran sources, this important study sheds new light on the operation that saw the US finally return to the Philippines.

CAM 283Cowpens 1781Turning point of the American Revolution

Author: Richard BlackmonIllustrator: Graham TurnerAvailable: August 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0746 5

This is a blistering account of the battle of Cowpens, a short, sharp conflict which marked a crucial turning point in the American Revolution. With Lt.

Col. Banastre Tarleton and the British troops in hot pursuit, Daniel Morgan, leading a small force of 700 Continentals and militia, chose the Cowpens as the battlefield in which to make a stand. The two forces clashed for barely more than 45 minutes, yet this brief battle shaped the outcome of the War in the South and decisively influenced the conflict as a whole. Richard Blackmon provides a shrewd and perceptive analysis of what was perhaps the finest tactical performance of the entire war. Bird’s-eye views, vivid illustrations and detailed maps illuminate the dynamism of this clash between two of the most famous commanders of the War of Independence.

CAM 284Guadalcanal 1942–43America’s first victory on the road to Tokyo

Author: Mark StilleIllustrator: Peter DennisAvailable: August 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0693 2

The Guadalcanal campaign began with an amphibious assault in August 1942 – the US’s first attempt to take

the fight to the Japanese. It escalated into a desperate attritional battle on land, air, and sea, and by the time the Japanese had evacuated the last of their forces from the island in 1943, it was clear that the tide of the war had turned. The inexorable Japanese advance and the myth of Japanese invincibility shattered. In this new study of the campaign, Pacific War expert Mark Stille draws on both US and Japanese sources to give a balanced and comprehensive account of a crucial, brutal conflict. Analyzing the three Japanese attempts to retake the island in the face of ferocious American resistance, this book shows how the battle was won and lost, and how it affected the outcome of the Pacific War as a whole.

CAM 285Lewes and Evesham 1264–65Simon de Montfort and the Barons’ WarAuthor: Richard BrooksIllustrator: Graham TurnerAvailable: July 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1150 9

At the height of the Second Barons’ War were the battles of Lewes and Evesham. It was an era of high drama

and intrigue, as tensions between crown and aristocracy boiled over and a civil war erupted that would shape the future of English government. In this detailed study, Richard Brooks unravels the remarkable events of these battles, revealing the unusually tactical nature of the fighting, in sharp contrast to most medieval conflicts which were habitually settled by burning and ravaging. At Lewes, Simon de Montfort, the powerful renegade leader of the Baronial faction, won a vital victory, smashing the Royalist forces and capturing Henry III and Prince Edward. Edward escaped, however, to lead the Royalist armies to a crushing victory just a year later at Evesham. Using full colour illustrations, bird’s-eye-views and detailed maps, this book tells the full story of the battles of Lewes and Evesham, the only pitched battles to be fought by English armies in the mid-13th century.

CAMPAIGN

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CAM 286Catalaunian Fields AD 451Rome’s last great battle

Author: Simon MacDowallIllustrator: Peter DennisAvailable: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0743 4

The battle of the Catalaunian Fields saw two massive, powerful Empires square up in a conflict that was to shape the course of Eurasian history forever. For despite the Roman victory,

the Roman Empire would not survive more than 15 years following the battle, whilst the Huns, shattered and demoralized, would meet their downfall against a coalition of German tribes soon after. This book, using revealing bird’s-eye-views of the plains of Champagne and detailed illustrations of the opposing warriors in the midst of desperate combat, describes the fighting at the Catalaunian Fields and reveals the broader campaign of Hunnic incursion that led up to it. Drawing on the latest research, Simon MacDowall reveals the shocking intensity and appalling casualties of the battle, whilst assessing the wider significance and consequences of the campaign.

CAM 287Tippecanoe 1811The prophet’s battle

Author: John F. WinklerIllustrator: Peter DennisAvailable: October 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0884 4

This is the gripping story of the Tippecanoe campaign of 1811: ‘The prophet’s battle’. It was a conflict born out of festering tensions inscribed by the 1795 Treaty of Greeneville, which

had concluded the Northwestern Indian War and attempted to prevent white settlers’ encroachment onto newly defined Indian territories. For 16 years there had been peace, but in 1811 the number of settlers in the Ohio territory had swollen from 3,000 to 250,000. War was again coming to the North West. Within these pages John F. Winkler explores the dramatic buildup to the conflict as ‘The Prophet’ Tenskatawa and his brother Tecumseh rallied the tribes to drive back the American settlers once and for all. Through superb illustrations and maps, Winkler provides a clear view of the intense fighting that followed at Tippecanoe and the true impact that it would come to have on the War of 1812.

CAM 288Taranto 1940The Fleet Air Arm’s precursor to Pearl HarborAuthor: Angus KonstamIllustrator: Peter DennisAvailable: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0896 7

The Royal Navy’s attack on Taranto in 1940 heralded a new age of warfare. It was the decisive moment in a struggle for dominance of the Mediterranean

that had gone on for months, as the British and Italian navies both looked to secure maritime supply routes for their colonies. With the enormous demands of a global war beginning to tell, the British capital ships were simply too thinly spread for a large fleet action against Taranto, where the bulk of the Italian fleet lay menacingly. How was the Royal Navy to eliminate the threat of the Regia Marina? This is the story of one of World War II’s most devastating raids, recounting how a handful of obsolete Fairey Swordfish biplanes swooped in and destroyed an Italian battleship and badly damaged two more. With expert analysis, detailed colour illustrations and a gripping narrative, this book explains the origins of the attack, its planning and execution, and what happened in the aftermath.

For a full list of our 200+ Campaign titles follow the link! www.ospreypublishing.com/stocklist

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for medical reasons by George Patton in December 1944. The 9th Infantry

Division, headed by Maj. Gen. Manton Eddy, was a veteran of the North

Africa and Sicily fighting and widely regarded

as one of the Army’s best divisions. Eddy was

a particularly capable officer and in August

1944 was given command of XII Corps in

Patton’s Third Army. The 79th Division was

commanded by Maj. Gen. Ira Wyche, West

Point class of 1911. Wyche had served in the

field artillery until assigned to command the

79th Division in May 1942, leading it in its

combat debut in 1944.

Of all the divisions in Collins’ VII Corps,

the only division to suffer from serious

leadership problems was the 90th Division, led

by Maj. Gen. Jay MacKelvie. An artilleryman,

MacKelvie showed little affinity for infantry

operations and was relieved by Collins on

June 12 after five days of combat, along

with two of his regimental commanders. His

immediate replacement was a Pacific veteran,

Maj. Gen. Eugene Landrum, who had

commanded the 7th Infantry Division during

the fighting with the Japanese in the Aleutian

campaign. He was relieved by Bradley in

August 1944 and was replaced by Maj. Gen.

Raymond S. McLain in yet another shake-up

in leadership of this troubled division.

commander in Cherbourg was Konteradmiral Walter Hennecke who had

served as Seekommandant Normandie since May 6, 1943. Hennecke began

the war as commander of the light cruiser Nürnberg  and in 1941 he was

assigned to the old battleship Schleswig-Holstein . He was elevated to the

rank of Konteradmiral (vice-admiral) on March 1, 1944. The Seekommandant

Normandie had been formed in November 1941 and controlled naval forces

on the French coast from Mont St Michel in the west to the Orne River

estuary in the east. Besides commanding the various naval units based in

Cherbourg and in smaller neighboring ports, the headquarters were also

responsible for the extensive network of naval coastal artillery batteries

in their sector. Hennecke was headquartered in the Villa Maurice in the

Octeville suburb of Cherbourg.

AMERICAN COMMANDERS

The First US Army was responsible for the conduct of the D-Day landings

and was commanded by Lt. Gen. Omar Bradley. The VII Corps that landed at

Utah Beach was commanded by Maj. Gen. J. Lawton Collins. He was known

by his nickname, “Lightning Joe”, derived from his divisional radio call sign

on Guadalcanal. Collins graduated from West Point in April 1917, but did

not arrive in Europe until after the Armistice. He received his first divisional

command in May 1942, taking over the poorly trained 25th Division in the

Pacific. Collins whipped it into shape for its first assignment, and it relieved

the 1st Marine Division in Guadalcanal in early 1943. In 1944, the US

Army chief of staff, Gen. George C. Marshall, began transferring seasoned

officers back from the Pacific theater to provide units in Europe with

more combat experience. Bradley later described

Collins as “independent, heady, capable, and full

of vinegar” and he would prove to be one of the

most aggressive and talented US field commanders

in Europe. Following his successes at Cherbourg,

Collins led the US Army breakout from Normandy

during Operation Cobra in July–August 1944, and

was instrumental in crushing the 5. Panzerarmee

in the Bastogne area during the Battle of the Bulge.

He served as the US Army chief of staff during the

Korean War.

With one exception, Collins was blessed

with excellent divisional commanders. Not

surprisingly, the two airborne division commanders

were exceptional, but neither division figured

prominently in the final Cherbourg campaign.

The infantry division leading the assault on Utah

Beach was the 4th Infantry Division, commanded

by Maj. Gen. Raymond “Tubby” Barton since July

1942. Barton was a notoriously strict disciplinarian

but he also proved to be an excellent trainer. He

led the division through the autumn campaign,

culminating in the ferocious Hürtgen Forest

campaign that gutted the division. He was relieved

Major-General J. Lawton

“Lightning Joe” Collins,

commander of VII Corps.

(NARA)

Major-General Raymond

“Tubby” Barton, commander of

the 4th Division is seen here at

the wheel of his jeep “Barton

Buggy.” He is talking with Col.

Charles T. Lanham, who took

over command of the 22nd

Infantry in July 1944 after Lt.

Col. S. Brumby was wounded in

action. (NARA)

Major-General Manton Eddy,

commander of the 9th Infantry

Division, seen here during the

fighting in Cherbourg in June

1944. (NARA)

34

35

The 709. Infanterie-Division was assigned the defense of the east side of the Montebourg defense line and the 77. Infanterie-Division to the center of the line starting to the west of Montebourg. The 243. Infanterie-Division held the front farther south, facing the 90th Infantry Division in the bocage country along the Douve River. Marcks was killed on June 12 when his staff car came under air attack near St Lô, and his place was taken temporarily by Gen. Wilhelm Fahrenbacher.

The substitution of the 9th Division for the failed 90th Division delayed the American advance for a day, so the attack resumed on June 14 with the 82nd Airborne Division on the left and the 9th Infantry Division on the right. These two divisions were opposed primarily by the battered 91. Luftlande-Division and elements of the 243. Infanterie-Division. The 82nd Airborne Division reached St Sauveur-le-Vicomte on the Douve River on June 16 while the 60th Infantry, 9th Division, reached the Douve River near Ste Colombe. With German resistance crumbling, Collins urged Eddy to push to the sea as rapidly as possible. During the night of June 16–17, a company from 3/60th Infantry riding on tanks and other armored vehicles reached the hill overlooking the coastal town of Barneville-sur-Mer before dawn. Early in the morning, the company advanced into the town, unoccupied except for a few startled German military policemen. The rapid advance by the 9th Division had severed the Cotentin Peninsula and cut off Cherbourg.

The 358th Infantry was assigned to reach Pont l’Abbé, and its lead battalion dug into defense positions short of the objective after having come under heavy fire. Grenadier-Regiment 1057 launched a counterattack in mid-afternoon, without success. The attacks continued the following day with 357th Infantry still unable to overcome the German defensive positions around Les Landes, and the 358th Infantry on the fringe of Pont l’Abbé. The following day, the 359th Infantry rejoined the division and reinforced the attack. The July 12 attack was further reinforced by the 746th Tank Battalion and additional artillery fire support. In spite of the reinforcements, the advance on June 12 and 13 was measured in mere hundreds of yards.In frustration over the slow pace of the advance after four days of fighting, Collins visited the division on June 13. After reaching the divisional command post, Collins was aggravated when he could find no regimental or battalion headquarters, nor much evidence of fighting. Furious over the 90th Division’s poor performance and inadequate leadership, Collins telephoned Bradley with plans to relieve the division’s commander along with two regimental commanders. Owing to pressure to capture Cherbourg as quickly as possible, they decided to pull the 90th Division out of the line in favor of an experienced unit. Bradley agreed to the use of the 9th Infantry Division, regarded as being one of the best infantry divisions in theater.The stalemate along the Montebourg front prompted Marcks’ 84. AK headquarters to try to sort out the confused deployment that had been caused by the hasty injection of reinforcing units in the days after the Normandy landings. There was some concern that the Cherbourg front would become cut off, so a new command structure was installed, with Gruppe Hellmich taking over the control of the Cotentin defenses. Hellmich was the senior divisional commander in the sector, heading the 243. Infanterie-Division. This essentially served as corps headquarters controlling four divisions. However, Hellmich’s headquarters did not have the communication resources to handle such a configuration, especially in light of frequent displacement of units.

A GI of the 9th Division armed with a .45-cal. Thompson submachine gun crawls warily along the edge of a hedge near St Sauveur-le-Vicomte on June 16, 1944, during the fighting to cut off the Cotentin Peninsula. (NARA)

Troops of the 9th Division pass through St Marie-du-Mont on June 13, 1944, in preparation for the start of the attack on June 14 to cut off the Cotentin Peninsula. (NARA)

GIs of the 9th Division use a roadside drainage ditch for cover during a skirmish near St Sauveur-le-Vicomte on June 21, 1944. In the background to the right is their 1½-ton weapons carrier, while to the left is an abandoned German truck. (NARA)

40

41

GERMAN FORCESKampfgruppe HoffmanA Sturm-Abteilung AOK 7 B GR 1058  C II./GR 921    Kampfgruppe Simoneit D III./GR 919 E Pz.-Abt. 206 (June 9)  F Kampfgruppe Müller G III./GR 739 H III./GR 922   Kampfgruppe Rohrbach I II./GR 920 J I./GR 922 (June 9) K II./GR 922 L Alarmheiten Grabbe   Kampfgruppe Keil M II./GR 919   Fortified positions N 2./HKAR 1261 O MKB Marcouf P Defense nest W11 Q Defense nest W12 R Defense nest W13 S Defense nest W14 T Defense nest W14a U Defense nest StP 16 V Defense nest W17 W Defense nest StP 18 X Defense nest W21 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

89

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

EVENTS

1 Company K, 22nd Infantry is assigned to push north from Utah Beach to clear the remaining German defense nests. 2 The 3/8th Infantry has a particularly hard time around the airship hangar near Écausseville after the sector was reinforced by the bicycle troops of the Sturm-Abt. AOK 7. 

3 After being pushed out of the town of St Marcouf on June 7 by III./GR 739, on June 8 the 1/22nd Infantry regains the village and advances into the MKB Marcouf battery positions. A German counterattack pushes the 1/22nd Infantry back about a mile from the battery, taking nearly a hundred prisoners in the process. 4 The 2/22nd Infantry assaults the Azeville battery (2./HKAR 1261) on June 8 but is unable to overcome the defenses. 5 The 3/22nd Infantry resumes the attack against the Azeville battery on June 9 with tank support. The battery is finally overwhelmed and surrenders. 6 The 3/12th Infantry penetrates the KG Rohrbach defenses east of Montebourg on June 9. 

7 Montebourg is reinforced late on June 9, including the light tanks of Panzer-Abteilung 206. 

8 The 8th Infantry’s attacks to the west of Montebourg on June 10 succeed in dislodging the newly arrived II./GR 921, which retreats after its commander is killed. 9 General Barton is concerned that the 12th Infantry is too exposed, in view of the slow pace of the neighboring 22nd Infantry, and on June 11 he orders the regiment to withdraw to the hill between St Floxel and Montebourg until the 22nd Infantry secures its right flank. KG Rohrbach tries to stem the momentum of the 12th Infantry east of Montebourg by staging a counterattack on June 12 with the recently arrived Alarmheiten Grabbe, but this fails.  10 At 1630hrs on June 10, Task Force A of the 22nd Infantry sets out for its initial objective of Ozeville, progressing as far as the Château de Fontenay where it is stopped by III./GR 922 backed by heavy artillery support.  

11 On June 11, KG Müller continues to resist the attempts of Task Force A to capture Ozeville, which is not secured until the afternoon of June 12. 12 Running out of ammunition, MKB Marcouf receives permission to withdraw on June 11, and escapes under the cover of darkness that night.  13 On June 12, Task Force Steiner from the 8th Infantry makes an attempt to penetrate into Montebourg but is quickly rebuffed. As a result, Barton decides to contain the town rather than waste troops in an urban battle. 14 On June 12, 1/39th Infantry crosses the causeways over the inundated coastal zones and attacks defense nest W14 from the rear. 15 The 2/39th Infantry occupies MKB Marcouf after the withdrawal of the survivors the night before and then pushes over the causeways to clear remaining defense nests, reaching the outskirts of StP 16 by June 13. 16 The 3/39th Infantry pushes through the III./GR 922 defenses near Fontenay-sur-Mer on June 12 at the start of its drive towards Quinéville.  17 On June 13, KG Rohrbach tries to stage another counterattack against the 12th Infantry using elements of II./GR 919, I./GR 922, and II./GR 920, but it is repulsed with heavy casualties.  

18 The 3/39th Infantry pushes northward against rearguards of KG Müller on June 13, and finally captures the town of Quinéville on June 14.

Note: Gridlines are shown at intervals of 1km

ÉCAUSSEVILLE

ST MARCOUF

MONTEBOURG

ST FLOXEL OZEVILLE

FONTENAY- SUR-MER

QUINÉVILLE

AZEVILLE

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1

1

2

3

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

THE BATTLE FOR MONTEBOURG, JUNE 8–14, 1944

US Forces4th Infantry Division1 8th Infantry Regiment 2 Task Force Steiner 3 12th Infantry Regiment 4 22nd Infantry Regiment 5 Task Force A (22nd Infantry) 6 Crisbecq Containment Force (C/22nd Infantry, C/899th TD Battalion) 7 K/22nd Infantry 9th Infantry Division8 1/39th Infantry Regiment 9 2/39th Infantry Regiment 10 3/39th Infantry Regiment  X

W

V

U

T

S

R

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50

51

commander of 198 Squadron. At 1300hrs, the attack was taken over by 557

fighters of 12 fighter groups of the Ninth Air Force carrying 520 tons of 500-

pound bombs; each P-51 and P-38 carried two and the P-47 carried three.

At 1400hrs, medium bombers of IX Bomber Command began their attacks

against the 11 main targets with 590 tons of bombs. The Germans claimed

to have shot down 80 Allied aircraft. While not that severe, losses were still

significant: 24 fighters and 12 bombers lost, four fighters and one bomber

damaged beyond repair, and 42 fighters and 90 bombers damaged.

The airstrikes had disappointing results. The initial assessment was that

four of the targets had been well hit, but seven not seriously damaged. It

was not appreciated at the time, but all of the major bunkers along the front

were invulnerable to 500-pound bombs; only the small Tobruk gun pits and

trenches were vulnerable. The fighter squadrons were operating mainly from

England, and it proved difficult for many pilots to become oriented over the

target area, with some strikes being conducted against US Army positions.

The attacks were more effective in some sectors, with the 9th Division

getting the best results by suppressing known German Flak positions with

divisional artillery before the airstrikes. When the infantry regiments started

their attack in mid-afternoon, the forward German defense line had not

been appreciably damaged, though the attacks had further demoralized the

already shaky defenders.

The 9th Infantry Division was facing Kampfgruppe Keil to the southwest

of Cherbourg. Kampfgruppe Keil consisted of two battalions of GR 919

and MG-Bataillon 17 on a front about 8km (5 miles) wide with each of the

battalions deployed in six to seven defense nests. On June 22, the 9th Infantry

Division pushed through several weak points in the defense line, capturing

several defense nests in the afternoon and evening. Keil decided to commit his

modest reserve, a Fallschirmjäger training company and a Georgian company,

on the morning of June 23 along the boundary line between MG-Btl. 17 and

III./GR 919 to recover several of the captured defense nests. Although the units

made progress at first, they ran into the 39th Infantry, which was cleaning

up defense nests that

had been bypassed

the previous day. The

German counterattack

was repulsed. The

60th Infantry made

deep inroads near

Flottemanville-Hague

on June 23 into the

sector held by III./GR

919, forcing Keil to

scrape the barrel for

units to try to stem the

breakthrough. A few

tanks from the Pz.-Abt.

206, the regimental

supply company,

and an anti-aircraft

machine-gun platoon

from II./GR 919 were

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5 miles

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Positions reached June 20

Front line, evening June 21

Cherbourg Landfront

Positions reached June 19Front line, night June 18/19

June 19June 19

June 20

June 21

June 21

N

Valognes

Ravenoville

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Picouville

RenoufGottot

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Ozeville

Fresville

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Teurthéville-Hague

Hardinvast

Martinvast

Helleville

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Gonneville

Cherbourg

St Pierre Église

Gourpesville

Haut Biville

Biville

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Colomby

Colleville

Ste Colombe

St Martin-

de-Varreville

Amfreville

Foucarville

Beuzeville-au-Plain

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Barneville-sur-M

er

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St Pierre-d’Arthéglise

St Jacques-de-Néhou

St Maurice-

en-Cotentin

la Valdecie

St Sauveur-le Vicom

te

Ste Mère-Église

Pont l’Abbé

Carteret

Chef-du-Pont

Château

Montebourg

Crisbecq

St Vaast-la Hougue

Quettehou

Bricquebec

les Pieux

St Germain-le Gaillord

St Christophe-

du-Foc

St Martin-le-Gréard

North to Cherbourg: June 19–21, 1944

GIs of the 313th Infantry, 79th

Division pose in front of a 20P7

6-Schartenturm armored

cupola, the only visible sign of

the large R634 bunker buried

underneath. This was part of

defense nest W449 in the

hamlet of La Devise, part of the

Valognes road strongpoint (StP

Valogener-Strasse) near the

main RN13 Valognes–

Cherbourg highway. This

strongpoint was overrun by the

79th Division on June 23.

(NARA)

54

55

5

The German defenders had planned to conduct an extensive series of

demolitions in the city to render the port useless. The demolition program

was delayed by Hitler until the last minute, but succeeded in blocking most

of the key port facilities. Anticipating such demolitions, the Allies moved

special salvage units into the city to clear the port. Some limited use of the

port began immediately, but it took about two months of reconstruction to

return it to full potential.

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0

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Inundated areaCoastal gun batterySubdivisional coastal defense group

KVU Gruppe

German dispositions on the Cotentin Peninsula: D-Day, June 6, 1944

The port city of Cherbourg was one of the most important objectives of

the Allied armies following the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. Although

immediate logistical needs could be provided by over-the-beach delivery and

the revolutionary Mulberry artificial harbors, the Allies needed a significant

port for prolonged combat operations. Cherbourg was the most feasible port

near the landing beaches, and its rapid capture was an essential Allied objective.

The Wehrmacht had presumed that any Allied landings in Lower

Normandy (Basse Normandie) would require a port. As a result, both

Cherbourg and Le Havre were heavily fortified in 1942–44 as part of the

Atlantikwall program. This included the erection of an extensive network of

coastal artillery batteries on both sides of the Cotentin Peninsula, extensive

defenses in the immediate Cherbourg area, and a Landfront defense to the

south of the city. On February 4, 1944, Hitler declared Cherbourg to be a

Festung (fortress), which would be defended to the last man.

Following the landings at Utah Beach on D-Day, the German defenders

of the Cotentin Peninsula frustrated American attempts to seize Cherbourg

quickly by blocking an advance in the Montebourg sector. Since Cherbourg

could not be captured on the run, on June 9, American commanders changed

plans. They decided to cut off the Cotentin Peninsula to isolate the Cherbourg

garrison from reinforcements from

Brittany before proceeding to

capture the port. After a shaky start

in the difficult bocage country, VII

Corps had pushed across the base of

the Cotentin Peninsula by June 17.

Rommel did not wish to have several

divisions trapped on the Cotentin

Peninsula, so three German divisions

attempted to escape southward,

leaving Kampfgruppe Schlieben to

defend the city on its own. Over

the course of the next week, VII

Corps ground through the fortified

Landfront defenses, reaching the

outer ring of city defenses on June

21. The city fell on June 26, and

the entire Cotentin Peninsula was

declared secure on July 1, 1944.

INTRODUCTION

An aerial reconnaissance photo

of Cherbourg from the summer

of 1944. (NARA)

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RAID 33U-47 in Scapa Flow The Sinking of HMS Royal Oak 1939

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At the outset of World War II, Scapa Flow was supposed to be the safe home base of the British Navy. Nothing could

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When Hitler’s forces poured into France and the Low Countries in 1940, the uneasy peace of the ‘Phoney War’

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CBT 16Templar Knight vs Mamluk Warrior – 1218–50Author: David CampbellAvailable: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1333 6

Step into the violent world of the 13th century, where the European states of the Levant battled with Muslim powers for control of Jerusalem. At the cutting edge of the conflict were the elite fighting men of the

Crusader and Egyptian armies – the Knights Templar and Mamluk warriors, respectively. The Knights Templar were the most famous and formidable of all the Western Christian military orders, whilst the Mamluks were a slave caste whose fighting prowess had elevated them to the point of holding real political clout, threatening their Ayyubid masters who relied on them so desperately for military success. This book draws on the latest research to tell the story of three key engagements from the Fifth Crusade to the Seventh Crusade. It reveals the extraordinary ferocity with which these holy wars were fought, and how the combats between Knights Templar and Mamluk warriors came to shape the political future of the region.

• Full colour artwork• Photographs

To view a full list of our COMBAT titles visit www.ospreypublishing.com/stocklist

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The Elite series examines the equipment, tactics and uniforms worn by some of the greatest fighting forces in history, from Roman legions to Special Forces operatives in Iraq and Afghanistan today. Lavishly illustrated and with full-colour specially commissioned artwork plates of the uniforms and military equipment they are the perfect reference for any military enthusiast.

Each book contains:• Photographs and illustrations• Full-colour artwork• Detailed analysis of tactics and weaponry• Maps

Price: £11.99 / $18.95 / CAN $22.50

ELI 207World War II Partisan Warfare in ItalyAuthor: Pier Paolo Battistelli, Piero CrocianiIllustrator: Peter DennisAvailable: August 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0893 6

When Italy surrendered in 1943, it sparked a resistance movement of anti-German, anti-fascist partisans. This book explores the tactics, organizational structure and equipment

of the brave Italian resistance fighters. Beginning with low-level sabotage and assassinations, the groups continued to grow until spring 1944 when a remarkable, unified partisan command structure was created. Working in close co-ordination with the Allies, they received British SOE and American OSS liaison teams as well as supplies of weapons. The German response was ferocious, and in autumn 1944, as the Allied advance stalled, the SS and Italian RSI looked to eradicate the partisans once and for all. But when the Allies made their final breakthrough in the last weeks of the war the partisans rose again to exact their revenge on the retreating Wehrmacht. From an expert on Italian military history in World War II, this work provides a comprehensive guide to the men and women who fought a desperate struggle against occupation, as well as the German and Italian fascist security forces unleashed against them.

ELI 208US Marine Corps Recon and Special Operations Uniforms & Equipment 2000–15Author and Illustrator: J. Kenneth EwardAvailable: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0678 9

In the age of modern warfare the changing landscape of the 21st century battlefield has demanded a

transformation within the US Marine Corps Special Operations. Adapting to a huge range of combat environments, an enormous array of specialist uniforms, protective armour and battlefield electronic devices have been developed to facilitate missions in the most extreme conditions. A special forces operator may now have available to him a dozen distinct types of body armour and two dozen different weapons; never before in American military history has so much been given to so few. Authored by J. Kenneth Eward, professor at the American Military University, and illustrated throughout with photographs and meticulous colour plates, this volume offers the first detailed, authoritative study of the characteristics, and performance in the field, of the most modern combat gear and weapons provided for USMC specialist operators to date.

ELI 209Victory 1945: Western Allied Troops in Northwest EuropeAuthor: Gordon L. RottmanIllustrator: Peter DennisAvailable: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0947 6

Even when Western Allied troops gained a foothold in Normandy, World War II in Europe was far from

over. The route to Germany’s interior and the Nazis final surrender was long, arduous and blood-stained. The Wehrmacht’s stubborn resistance and the shocking losses suffered by US, British, Canadian and ‘Free European’ troops meant that the Allies had to adapt and refine small-unit tactics, battle-drills, and their use of weapons and munitions. The troops who finally met up with the Red Army in Germany were a very different fighting force to the one that struggled up the beaches of northern France. This book offers a comprehensive guide to the late-war Allied troops, exploring their uniforms, equipment, organization and tactics. Detailed description and accurate colour pictures illustrate the means by which the Allied troops on the ground evolved to the point of winning the war on the Western Front.

Elite

ELI 202ISBN: 978 1 78200 593 3

ELI 204ISBN: 978 1 47280 681 9

ELI 203ISBN: 978 1 78096 053 1

ELI 205ISBN: 978 1 47280 675 8

ELI 199ISBN: 978 1 78200 590 2

ELI 206ISBN: 978 1 47280 722 9

WPN 41The FlamethrowerAuthor: Chris McNabIllustrators: Steve Noon, Alan GillilandAvailable: August 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0902 5

The focus of this book is a weapon that has literally placed the power of fire in human hands – the man-portable flamethrower. From its first use in World War I to its deployment in Vietnam, the weapon has proven to be devastatingly effective, not least because of its huge psychological impact on enemy troops. Yet despite this, the man-portable flamethrower has always been vulnerable, suffering from a very particular set of limitations, all of which are explored here. Featuring expert analysis, first-hand accounts, and a startling array of illustrations and photographs, this book is the definitive guide to an extraordinary chapter in the history of military technology.

WPN 42Winchester Lever-Action RiflesAuthor: Martin PeglerIllustrators: Mark Stacey, Alan GillilandAvailable: October 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0657 4

Winchester lever-action repeating rifles are an integral part of the folklore of the American West. Introduced after the American Civil War, the first Winchester, the M1866, would go on to see military service as far afield as Bulgaria, but it was in the hands of civilians that it would become known as ‘The gun that won the west’. Offering a lethal combination of portability, ruggedness and ammunition interchangeability with pistol sidearms, the Winchesters and their innovative and elegant breech-loading system represented a revolutionary design. This book explores the Winchesters’ unique place in history, revealing the technical secrets of their success with a full array of colour artwork, period illustrations and close-up photographs.

WPN 43The Composite BowAuthor: Mike LoadesIllustrator: Peter DennisAvailable: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0591 1

An ancient design, emerging from Central Asia in the second millennium BC, the composite bow was adopted by a staggering variety of cultures, from nomadic tribal peoples such as the Huns, Turks and Mongols, to mighty empires such as the Romans, Byzantines, Persians, Arabs and Chinese. Offering high power and portability, the composite bow was an ideal cavalry weapon, though it was also used by infantry in open battle and as a siege weapon. In this important study, an expert on Eastern military technology tells the story of this extraordinary piece of military hardware; how it was made and how various cultures developed differing tactics for using it. He explains why the composite bow achieved such stunning successes and how it endured as a weapon of choice for thousands of years.

WEAPONThe Weapon series looks at the most important weapons throughout history. Using a combination of photography and classic Osprey artwork, this series examines the full story of each weapon, beginning with its design and development, following through its operational history, and finally analysing its impact on conflict and violence.

Each book contains:• A detailed analysis of the design and development• In-depth discussion of its use in action• Photographs, illustrations and Battlescene art • Cutaway artwork showing the internal workings of the weapon

Price: £12.99 / $18.95 / CAN $22.99

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These are not just simple biographies. Instead they provide a critical examination of each commander’s key victories and his notable adversaries, explaining how and why these great leaders were able to carve their names into the annals of military history.

Each book contains:• Detailed maps and tactical diagrams• Photographs and illustrations• Specially commissioned full-colour artwork

Price: £11.99 / $18.95 / CAN $22.99

Command

CMD 31Attila the HunAuthor: Nic FieldsIllustrator: Steve NoonAvailable: August 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0887 5

One of the most powerful men in late antiquity, Attila’s peerless Hunnic empire stretched from the Ural mountains to the Rhine river. In a series of epic campaigns dating from the AD 430s until his death in

AD 453, he ravaged first the Eastern and later the Western Roman Empire, invading Italy in AD 452 and threatening Rome itself. Lavishly illustrated, this new analysis of his military achievements examines how Attila was able to sweep across Europe, the tactics and innovations he employed and the major battles he faced, including one of his few major setbacks, the defeat at the battle of Chalons in AD 451.

CMD 32Gustaf MannerheimAuthor: Steven J. ZalogaAvailable: October 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1442 5

Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim is a legendary figure, whose life and career were deeply influential in Finnish and European history. He is viewed by many as the father of modern Finland after leading the ‘White’ faction to victory and independence in the

Finnish Civil War of 1918. That conflict preceded a sequence of bitter clashes in the ice and snow, in the build-up to, and during, World War II: the Winter War in 1939–40, the Continuation War in 1941–44 and the Lapland War in 1944–45. This study provides a fascinating insight into Mannerheim’s career, analysing his traits, his biggest victories and his key enemies. Complete with uniform artwork and detailed tactical maps, it is a comprehensive guide to one of history’s most capable military leaders and statesmen.

NEW VANGUARD18

The New Vanguard series reveals the design and development history behind some of the greatest war machines of history, from Viking longships and the tanks deployed during the World Wars through to the UAVs and armour in use in the war on terror today.

Each book contains:• Photographs and illustrations• Specially commissioned double-page cutaway artwork displaying the internal

workings of each machine• Profile artwork• Battlescenes

Price: £9.99 / $17.95 / CAN $21.50

NVG 223T-64 Battle TankThe Cold War’s Most Secret Tank

Author: Steven J. ZalogaIllustrator: Adam ToobyAvailable: August 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0628 4

The T-64 tank was the most revolutionary design of the whole Cold War, designed to provide the firepower and armour protection of a heavy tank in a medium-weight design.

It pioneered a host of new technologies including laminate armour, stereoscopic tank rangefinders, opposed-piston engines, smooth-bore tank guns with discarding sabot ammunition, and gun-fired guided projectiles. These impressive features meant that the Russians were loath to part with the secrets of the design, and the T-64 was the only Soviet tank type of the Cold War that was never exported. Written by an armour expert, this detailed technical history sheds light on the secrets behind the Cold War’s most controversial tank, revealing how its highly advanced technologies proved to be both a blessing and a curse.

NVG 224Polish Armor of the BlitzkriegAuthor: Jamie PrenattIllustrator: Henry MorsheadAvailable: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0824 0

The Polish army during the Blitzkrieg conjures up tragic images of infantry and dashing, but ineffective and ultimately doomed cavalry charges. In actuality the Poles, in the midst of a large-scale

re-armament programme, had up to 600 armoured vehicles available at the time of the German attack, as well as a number of newer and better designs in various stages of development. Facing the inventors of the ‘Lightning War’, who attacked in great numbers, on multiple fronts and with total mastery of the air, the Polish armoured formations were up against it. But outdated equipment, doctrine and enormous odds did not stop these units from fighting with bravery and determination before being finally overwhelmed. This volume is a complete technical study of the machines that formed the backbone of Poland’s defences on the ground, using never-before-seen photographs and a comprehensive design and developmental history that reveal a full picture of Poland’s armoured forces in the context of their greatest challenge.

NVG 225Republican Roman Warships 509–27 BCAuthor: Raffaele D’AmatoIllustrator: Giuseppe RavaAvailable: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0827 1

The birth of the mighty Roman Navy was anchored in the Romans’ extraordinary ability to absorb and perfect the technology of other states

and empires. This is the story of the design, development and operation of the Republican Roman warship in the age of the conquest of the Mediterranean, from the first Roman naval adventure of 394 BC to the battle of Actium in 31 BC. Archaeological photography, including those of exciting new finds, such as the Roman warship rosta (rams) found in the Aegates Islands, accompany lavish artistic reconstructions in illustrating the ships of the first Roman navy.

NVG 226Commonwealth Cruisers 1939–45Author: Angus KonstamIllustrator: Paul WrightAvailable: October 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0501 0

In the early 20th century Britain’s largest colonies established their own small naval presence, and their ships fought alongside the Royal Navy

during World War I. These fleets were expanded during the inter-war years, and in 1939 the Royal Australian Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy willingly joined the fight on behalf of the British Commonwealth. For the most part these small navies consisted of a few cruisers and destroyers, designed to protect territorial waters and to protect local sea lanes. However, these warships and their crews soon found themselves involved in a global war, and consequently were called upon to fight wherever they were needed, against the Germans, the Italians and the Japanese. This book tells the story of these small cruiser forces, and the men who served the Allied cause so well during the long and brutal war at sea.

19NVG 227Ottoman Navy Warships 1914–18Author: Ryan K. NoppenIllustrator: Paul WrightAvailable: July 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0619 2

At the start of the 20th century the Ottoman Navy was a shadow of its former might, a reflection of the empire as a whole, which was known as the ‘Sick Man of Europe’. Years

of defeat, nepotism, and neglect had left the Ottoman Navy with a mix of obsolete vessels. An increasing Russian naval presence in the Black Sea and the emergence of Italy and Greece as naval powers proved beyond all doubt that intensive modernization was essential. So the Ottoman Navy looked to the ultimate naval weapon of the age, the dreadnought battleship, two of which were ordered from the British. But politics intervened, and a succession of events culminated in the Ottoman Navy fielding a modern German battlecruiser and state-of-the-art light cruiser instead – with dramatic consequences. In this study, Ryan Noppen presents a fresh appraisal of the technical aspects and operations of the warships of the Ottoman Navy in World War I. Packed with precise technical specifications, revealing illustrations and exhaustive research, this is an essential guide to a crucial chapter in the Aegean arms race.

NVG 228German Commerce Raiders 1914–18Author: Ryan K. NoppenIllustrator: Paul WrightAvailable: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0950 6

This is the story of Germany’s commerce raiders of World War I, the surface ships that were supposed to starve the British Isles of the vast cargoes of vital resources being shipped

from the furthest reaches of the Empire. To that end pre-war German naval strategists allocated a number of cruisers and armed, fast ocean liners, as well as a complex and globe-spanning supply network to support them – known as the Etappe network. This book, drawing on technical illustrations and the author’s exhaustive research, explains the often overlooked role that the commerce raiders played in World War I. Whilst exploring the design and development of the ships, it also describes their operational history, how they tied up a disproportionate amount of the British fleet on lengthy pursuits, and how certain raiders such as the SMS Emden were able to wreak havoc across the oceans.

NVG 229US Standard-type Battleships 1941–45 (2)Tennessee, Colorado and Unbuilt ClassesAuthor: Mark StilleIllustrator: Paul WrightAvailable: December 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0699 4

This book completes an authoritative two-part study on the Standard-type US battleships of World War II – ships

that were designed to fight a different type of war than the one that unfolded. It gives precise technical details of the design history and features of the Tennessee, Colorado and the unfinished South Dakota and Lexington classes, whilst providing an operational history of the former two. Written by a leading expert on the US Navy in World War II and augmented by contemporary photographs and specially commissioned illustrations, this is the other half of the story of the US Standard-type battleships – from the terrible damage they sustained at Pearl Harbor to their support of the war-winning landings of the US Marine Corps and US Army.

Don’t forget that you can view a full list of our NVG titles by following this link! www.ospreypublishing.com/stocklist

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It was withdrawn from front-line German service by 1943, but it remained

in use in secondary roles such as anti-partisan units. Manufacture of the tank

version of the PzKpfw 38(t) ended in the summer of 1942, but the chassis

remained in production throughout the war for a variety of self-propelled

guns and tank destroyers. This book deals with the tank variants of this

prolific model.

Export Tank Origins

When the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed in 1918, the newly independent

Czechoslovakia inherited a substantial arms industry. Since the domestic

market for armaments was so limited, Czechoslovak firms pursued the

international armament business. In the 1930s, Czechoslovakia often ranked

third in the world after Britain and France. By this time there were two firms

involved in the tank business, the well-known armament firm Škoda in Plzen

(Pilsen) and the newcomer, ČKD (Českomoravská-Kolben-Daněk) formed in

Praga (Prague) in 1927. ČKD’s first big program was the licensed manufacture

of the British Carden-Loyd Mk. VI tankette in modified form for the

Czechoslovak Army as the Tančik vz. 30. It was followed by the LT vz. 34

light tank, roughly in the category of the Vickers 6-ton tank, with 44

purchased by the Czechoslovak Army. The LT abbreviation means ”Lekhý

Tank” (Light Tank). Although offered for export, no foreign sales were made.

The principal design engineer at ČKD was an émigré Russian, Alexej Surin,

who had migrated to Czechoslovakia in the wake of the Russian Civil War.

His first successful export design was the Praga AH-IV tankette. Although

called a tankette, it was significantly larger than Carden-Loyd types, and was

fitted with a small turret. This new type also pioneered the large road-wheel

design that would become a hallmark of Surin’s later light tanks. Although the

large road wheels might be mistaken for a Christie-type suspension, in fact the

Surin design used a bogie consisting of twin road wheels pivoting on a single

horizontal spring rather than the individual vertical springs of the famous

Christie tanks. ČKD enjoyed its first export success with this tankette, agreeing

to sell 30 AH-IVs to the Persian Army (Iranian after 1935). This sale proved

vital to the future of the company, as it led to a succession of export orders

including those from Romania and Sweden.

With the AH-IV program

underway, ČKD also began work

on a modernized light tank

incorporating the new suspension

design. The TNH light tank was

intended to compete against the

Vickers 6-ton tank in the export

market. It won its first export

success at the same time as the

AH-IV, with an Iranian order in

May 1935. The TNH light tank

was armed with a Škoda 37mm A4

Beta gun as well as two machine

guns, and had a 15mm armor basis.

In total, 50 TNH tanks were built

for Iran at ČKD’s Slaný plant, with

delivery completed in May 1937.

INTRODUCTION 

Originally designed for the army of the Shah of Persia by an émigré Russian

engineer, the PzKpfw 38(t) was the only tank of foreign origin to remain in

production for the Wehrmacht throughout World War II. When Germany

occupied the Czech provinces in 1939, it inherited the small but sophisticated

Czech tank industry. The best of the new Czech tanks, the LT 38, was an

essential ingredient in enlarging the panzer force in 1939–41. The majority

of German tanks were armed with inadequate machine guns and 20mm

cannon, but the Czech tanks offered an excellent 37mm gun. The PzKpfw

38(t) proved to be a reliable and effective tank during the Blitzkrieg campaigns

of 1939–41, making up nearly a fifth of the panzer force. Its combat

effectiveness diminished rapidly after 1941 when confronted with the new

generation of Soviet tanks such as the T-34 and KV. Besides its use by German

tank units, the PzKpfw 38(t) and its relatives were widely exported and

served in a diverse selection of armies including neutrals such as Sweden and

Switzerland, as well as with Germany’s allies such as Hungary and Romania.

PANZER 38(t)

This PzKpfw 38(t) Ausf. E is

preserved at the Memorial

Museum at Poklonna Gora

outside Moscow.

The ancestor of the PzKpfw

38(t) was the TNH light tank,

with 50 manufactured for the

Iranian Army in 1937. There are

few details on whether they

took part in the fighting with

the British and Soviet armies

following the August 25, 1941

invasion of Iran.

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Early Revisions Although the Waffenamt was not especially enthusiastic about accepting foreign designs, the Czech industrial capacity was an attractive short cut to quickly build up the panzer force. In July 1939, BMM received a second production contract for 325 PzKpfw 38(t) tanks. The intention was to modify the design with more German sub-components. This included the substitution of German radios at the factory, and some German-supplied accessories. The first batch of 110 tanks entered production in January 1940, and these were designated as 2.Serie or Ausf. B. This contract was issued prior to the Polish campaign, and so the armor level remained the same. With the adoption of German radios, the prominent insulated tube on the left side for the old Czechoslovak radios was removed. Tool stowage was standardized on the fenders following the usual German practices. The periscopic sight for the commander had an armored cover added, and a sheet-metal rain gutter was added over the gun-sight aperture. The wheels were modified with a wider rubber tire.

The next batch of 110 Ausf. C (3.Serie) was manufactured from May to August 1940. The first batch of tanks was essentially similar to the Ausf. B due to delays in introducing intended improvements. The most significant technical improvement was the increase in armor based on the lessons of the Polish campaign. The frontal hull armor was increased from 25mm to 40mm, although some of the first tanks in this batch still had the thinner armor. A splashguard was added on the front hull roof to shield the joint between the turret and hull.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION The PzKpfw 38(t) used a conventional configuration, with  the  fighting compartment in the front and the engine in the rear. There were four crew members, consisting of a tank commander/gunner in the right side of the turret, the loader in the right side of the turret, the bow machine gunner/radio operator on the left side of the hull front, and the driver on the left side. The turret crew had bicycle seats suspended for the turret race (the circular base on

new 3.leichte-Division. The “light” divisions were the name for the German mechanized-cavalry divisions. Panzer-Abteilung.67 had been raised at the garrison at Groß-Glienicke in November 1938 under the command of Oberstleutnant Paul Goerbig. It had gradually been equipped with the PzKpfw III(t) as they became available in June and July 1939. The regiment received 57 tanks prior to the start of the Polish campaign, 55 of these being the standard tank and two PzKpfw III(t) als Bef.Wg. command tanks. The regiment was organized into four companies, and since not enough PzKpfw III(t) were available yet, each company had one platoon (Zug) with PzKpfw II, and two with the PzKpfw III(t). The division saw combat with Heeresgruppe Süd on the southern front in Poland, including the Bzura River battles. Total losses were six or seven tanks, with many others damaged. The knocked-out tanks were later rebuilt.

The Polish campaign made it clear that the armor of the PzKpfw III(t) was inadequate. The Polish Army had been amply equipped with 7.9mm wz.35 antitank rifles and the 37mm wz.36 antitank gun. The antitank rifle could penetrate the frontal armor of the tank at ranges of about 100m, and could penetrate the sides at ranges of 300m. The Polish 37mm antitank gun, a license-produced version of the Swedish Bofors design, could penetrate the PzKpfw III(t) at normal combat ranges. Various 75mm field guns were also used in an antitank role and also were effective against the relatively thin armor of the PzKpfw III(t). This protective weakness was not unique to the Czech design, and was a common problem with all of the German tanks of this era. This resulted in a variety of schemes to improve the tank’s frontal armor.From an organizational standpoint, the army judged the performance of the panzer divisions to have been superior to that of the light-cavalry divisions. As a result, the cavalry’s four light divisions were rebuilt as panzer divisions prior to the 1940 campaigns.

A Panzerbefelswagen 38(t) Ausf. C in the SdKfz 267 configuration with a fixed rear frame antenna for the Fu 8 radio transceiver. Two of these served in each panzer regimental headquarters and five more in the divisional armored radio company.

LEFTA column from 3.Kompanie, Pz.Abt.67 of the 3.leichte-Division in Poland in September 1939. In the lead is a PzKpfw 38(t) Ausf. A, followed by one of the rare PzKpfw II Ausf. D.

RIGHTA PzKpfw 38(t) of Panzer-Regiment.25, 7.Panzer-Division near Kalvariya, Lithuania, at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa on June 22, 1941. The Ausf. B and Ausf. C are very difficult to distinguish since the main difference was the

increased thickness of the lower bow plate from 25mm to 40mm.

The crew layout of the PzKpfw 38(t) was conventional, with the commander/gunner in the left side of the turret under the cupola, the loader to the left of the gun, the bow gunner/radio operator in the left hull front, and the driver in the right hull front.

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enough, two of the tank commanders were Czechs who had arrived in Peru to serve as trainers and advisers. The LTP tanks proved very popular in Peruvian service. During World War II, the United States provided 30 M3 Stuart light tanks, but the Peruvian Army found the Czech tanks to be more durable. As a result, in 1947, Peru attempted to buy 20 upgraded LTP tanks of welded construction, with a Tatra diesel engine, and the more powerful A-7 gun. The contract negotiations dragged on and were finally cancelled by the Communist government in 1951, which complained that Peru had become “a vassal of American imperialism.” A small number remained in Peruvian Army service into the late 1980s and were used in counter-insurgency operations against the Shining Path guerilla movement.Another European sale materialized in 1937 after German and Swedish firms rebuffed attempts by the Swiss Army to purchase tanks. The initial offer was for a version of the AH-IV, but the Swiss wanted a heavier tank with 24mm armor, a Swiss Saurer diesel engine, and a Swiss 24mm Pak 38 cannon. Eventually, a contract was signed for the delivery of 12 Praga LTL-H (H = Helvetia) tanks to the Swiss Army plus a license production agreement. The first 12 tanks were finally delivered to Switzerland in May 1939 in the midst of the German occupation of the Czech provinces. They were designated as Panzerwagen 39 (Pzw 39) in the Swiss Army. Swiss plans to build more tanks were complicated by the German occupation, and in the event, only an additional 12 tanks were completed in Switzerland using knock-down kits provided by ČKD. These tanks were deployed in tank platoons in the Swiss infantry divisions, with four tanks per platoon (Zug). In later years, the platoons were consolidated into larger companies consisting of two platoons with eight tanks. These three companies were attached to the three light brigades. After World War II, many of the tanks were retired to war reserve, but a company remained in service with the Mot.Gren.Btl.11 through the late 1940s.

EARLY EXPORTS 1: PRAGA TNH, 2ND (AFV) REGIMENT, MECHANIZED BRIGADE, IMPERIAL IRANIAN PAHLAVI ARMY, TEHERAN, 1939 The TNH tanks were delivered to Iran in a medium-gray zinc protective paint. The standard markings were painted at the factory, and included the Pahlavi dynasty’s imperial crown emblem on the front and a three-digit Arabic numeral in white on the rear sides – in this case, “350.” It would appear that the Iranian Army used conventional marking practices, with the three-digit number indicating company, platoon, and individual vehicle.2: TANQUE 39 (LTP), PERUVIAN TANK BATTALION, PERU–ECUADOR BORDER WAR, SUMMER 1941 The Peruvian LTP tanks were delivered in a factory export camouflage scheme of sand, brown, and green. Their basic marking was a provincial name in white – in this case, “Tanca.” During the 1941 border fighting with Ecuador, they carried tactical markings in the form of geometric shapes, probably distinguishing companies. Some tanks had a stylized national insignia in oval form, as shown in the inset drawing here. After the war, they were repainted in an overall drab green color with less prominent markings.

A

After the war, one of the Swiss Panzerwagen 39 was re-armed with the 47mm Pak 41 gun in a modified turret as a way to extend the useful service life of the tank. However, the program was eventually rejected and the tanks retired.

Engage the enemy with the Duel series, accounts of machines of war pitted against each other, and the combatants who operated them. Step onto the battlefield and immerse yourself in the experience of real historic combat.

OSPREYDUEL

Engage the Enemy

20DUE 67Spitfire II/V vs Bf 109FChannel Front 1940–42

Author: Tony HolmesIllustrators: Jim Laurier, Gareth HectorAvailable: December 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0576 8

With stunning artwork and detailed analysis, this volume provides a pilot’s view of the dramatic clashes between these two legendary fighters, as some of the most gifted and ‘big name’ aces of

World War II went head to head in the skies of North-West Europe.As the Battle of Britain approached its conclusion, two new versions of the famous Spitfire and Messerschmitt Bf 109 arrived on the scene. The RAF could see that the Luftwaffe were stepping down their incursions into British airspace, and went on to the offensive. The Spitfire Mark II, and increasingly the Mark V, would fly over the picturesque English channel in fighter sweeps, or to escort vulnerable Blenheim bombers - waiting for them was the Bf 109F ‘Friedrich’. Yet despite the reversal of offensive and defensive dispositions, and despite the Luftwaffe deploying the bulk of their fighter strength to the Eastern Front in 1941, the Jagdflieger were able to inflict severe losses on their RAF counterparts.

DUE 68RAF Fighters vs Luftwaffe BombersBattle of BritainAuthor: Andy SaundersIllustrators: Gareth Hector, Jim LaurierAvailable: October 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0852 3

In this book, Andy Saunders journeys back in time into the cockpits of RAF fighters and Luftwaffe bombers to show precisely where the Battle of Britain

was won and lost. Losses were high on both sides, but the determined RAF fighter force began to take its toll on the overextended, under-protected Kampfgruppen of Heinkel He 111s, Ju 87s and 88s, and Dornier Do 17s. Using the famous Spitfire and Hurricane, but also the lesser known Havoc and Defiant fighters, Fighter Command could really maul the Luftwaffe bombers if they avoided falling foul of the formidable Bf 109 escorts. Both sides learned and adapted as the campaign went on, with the Luftwaffe switching from massed daylight raids to round-the-clock bombing, eventually bombing only by night, often hitting civilian targets in the dreaded Blitz. This lavishly-illustrated study dissects the tactics and technology of the duels in this new kind of war.

DUE 70Panzer IV vs ShermanFrance 1944

Author: Steven J. ZalogaIllustrator: Richard ChasemoreAvailable: August 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0760 1

As the Allies attempted to break out of Normandy, it quickly became apparent that there would be no easy victory over the Germans, and that every scrap of territory on the way to Berlin would

have to be earned through hard fighting. This study concentrates on the ferocious battles between the German Panzer IV and US Sherman that were at the heart of this decisive phase of World War II. The two types were among the most-produced tanks in US and German service and were old enemies, having clashed repeatedly in the Mediterranean theater. Throughout their long service careers, both had seen a succession of technical developments and modifications, as well as an evolution in their intended roles – but both remained at the forefront of the fighting on the Western Front. Written by an expert on tank warfare, this book invites the reader into the cramped confines of these armoured workhorses, employing vivid technical illustrations alongside archive and contemporary photography to depict the conditions for the crewmen within.

DUE 69US Navy Carrier Aircraft vs IJN Yamato Class Battleships1944–45Author: Mark StilleIllustrator: Jim LaurierAvailable: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0849 3

As the Pacific War approached a crescendo, the clashes between swarming US Navy carrier aircraft, and

the gigantic Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Yamato-class battleships became symbolic of the fortunes of the two nations. They also served as a metaphor for the profound changes in naval technology and doctrine that the war had brought about. The two opposing forces were the most powerful of their kind - the Japanese Yamato and Musashi were the biggest most heavily armored and armed battleships ever built, while US carrier aviation had evolved into a well-oiled, war-winning machine. With detailed analysis of the technical features of the opposing war machines and a gripping account of the fighting itself, this vividly illustrated work presents views from the cockpits of US Navy Divebombers, and down the sights of IJN anti-aircraft guns, during two of the most dramatic naval engagements ever fought.

Each book contains:• Photographs and illustrations• Maps• Gun sight views • Battlescene artwork• Detailed machine profiles

Price: £12.99 / $18.95 / CAN $22.99

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FrostgraveFantasy Wargames in the Frozen CityAuthor: Joseph A. McCulloughIllustrator: Dmitry Burmak Available: July 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0504 1Price: £14.99 / $24.95 / CAN $28.95Format: Hardback,134pp

Amidst the frozen ruins of an ancient city, wizards battle in the hopes of discovering the treasures of a fallen empire. In this fantasy skirmish wargame, each player takes on the role of a wizard from one of ten schools of magic, and builds his band of followers. The wizard’s apprentice will usually accompany his master and more than a dozen other henchmen types are available for hire, from lowly thugs to heavily armoured knights and stealthy thieves. Wizards can expand their magical knowledge by unlocking ancient secrets and may learn up to 80 different spells. While individual games of Frostgrave are quick and can easily be played in an hour or two, it is by connecting them into an ongoing campaign that players will find the most enjoyment. The scenarios given in the book are merely the beginning of the limitless adventures that can be found amidst the ruins of the Frozen City.

Thaw of the Lich LordAuthor: Joseph A. McCulloughIllustrator: Dmitry Burmak Available: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1409 8Price: £9.99 / $17.95 / CAN $21.50Format: Paperback, 48pp

Thaw of the Lich Lord is a complete campaign for Frostgrave that will challenge both new and veteran players. Through a series of linked scenarios, players discover the existence of a new power in the Frozen City, one who was old when the great city was still young, and who saw both its rise and its disastrous fall. Warbands will confront the Lich Lord’s minions, race against his agents to seize possession of mysterious artefacts, and brave the perils of Frostgrave in search of his lair. Eventually, they will need to muster all their courage to venture into the depths of the city and face the Lich Lord himself. Not all wizards will seek to stop the Lich Lord, however, and full rules for giving into his corruption and following the dark road to becoming an undead lich are presented for those who crave power and immortality above all else. While the campaign presents many new threats against which wizards and their warbands must test themselves, including an expanded bestiary, it also offers additional resources, such as new henchmen that can be recruited and unique magical treasures that can spell the difference between survival and oblivion.

Official Frostgrave miniatures available through North Star Military FiguresTo order, contact sales@northstarfigures.com

www.ospreygames.co.uk www.northstarfigures.com

Frostgrave

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BOLT 12Bolt ActionGermany Strikes!Author: Warlord GamesCover Artist: Peter DennisAvailable: July 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0741 0Price: £19.99 / $29.95 / CAN $35.00Format: Paperback, 128pp

In 1939, Germany shattered the peace of Europe with a lightning-fast strike against Poland. The next year, it captured Denmark and Norway, before launching its famous Blitzkrieg

against France, Belgium and The Netherlands. In less than two years of figting, Nazi Germany became the master of mainland Europe. This new Theatre Book for Bolt Action allows players to command armies of German tanks driving across the continent or to lead the desperate defense of the outgunned Allied armies. New scenarios, special rules and units give players everything they need to recreate the devastating battles and campaigns of the early war in Europe, including the fall of Poland, the breaking of the Maginot Line and the dramatic retreat to Dunkirk.

BOLT 11Bolt ActionEmpires in FlamesAuthor: Warlord GamesCover Artist: Peter DennisAvailable: October 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0740 3Price: £19.99 / $29.95 / CAN $35.00Format: Paperback, 128pp

Far from the battlefields of Europe and North Africa, Allied forces fought a very different war against another foe, from the

jungles of Burma to the islands of the Pacific and the shores of Australia. This new Theatre Book for Bolt Action allows players to command the spearhead of the lightning Japanese conquests in the East or to fight tooth and nail as Chindits, US Marines and other Allied troops to halt the advance and drive them back. Scenarios, special rules and new units give players everything they need to recreate the ferocious battles and campaigns of the Far East, from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, Singapore, the Philippines, Iwo Jima and beyond.

BOLT 1ISBN: 978 1 78096 088 3

BOLT 3ISBN: 978 1 78096 089 0

BOLT 2ISBN: 978 1 78096 087 6

BOLT 4ISBN: 978 1 78096 090 6

BOLTISBN: 978 1 78096 086 9

24OWG 11Honours of WarWargames Rules for the Seven Years’ War Author: Keith FlintIllustrator: Giuseppe Rava Available: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0809 7Price: £11.99 / $17.95 / CAN $21.50Format: Paperback, 64pp

The Seven Years’ War was the pinnacle of 18th-century warfare, with dramatic

campaigns and battles, famous leaders, and wide variety of colourful uniforms. Compared with the later Napoleonic Wars, tactics were simpler, armies more professional, and battles tended to be smaller. Using these quick-to-learn rules, players can bring this period to the tabletop, recreating anything from a small skirmish to a major pitched battle. Although simple, the rules allow for a wide range of tactics and reward historical play. That said, fog of war sometimes produces unexpected results and units don’t always obey their orders! The game moves quickly, and players must be prepared to regroup and counterattack or to press home an advantage – a lot can happen in one move!

OWG 10Black Ops Tactical Espionage Wargaming

Author: Guy BowersIllustrators: Johan Egerkrans & Dmitry Burmak Available: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0781 6Price: £11.99 / $17.95 / CAN $21.50Format: Paperback, 64pp

Black Ops is a skirmish wargame of tactical espionage combat that recreates the tension and excitement

of modern action-thrillers such as the Bond and Bourne films. The fast-play rules keep all the players in the thick of the action, while the mission generator provides a wide range of options for scenarios – from stealthy extraction or surveillance missions to more overt raids and assaults. Stealth, combat, and technical expertise all have a role to play, and players may recruit a number of different operative types – spies, mercenaries, criminals, hackers, special forces, and many more – to recruit the best possible team for the job. Players may also choose to join a faction – powerful organizations, intelligence agencies, criminal syndicates, militaries, or rebel groups, each with a stake in international affairs. By doing so, their team may receive certain benefits, but may also find itself limited at a crucial time. With the variety offered by the characters, factions, and scenarios, no two games of Black Ops should ever be the same!

OWG 1ISBN: 978 1 84908 680 6

OWG 4ISBN: 978 1 78096 846 9

OWG 7ISBN: 978 1 4728 0140 1

OWG 3ISBN: 978 1 78096 289 4

OWG 6ISBN: 978 1 78200 638 1

OWG 9ISBN: 978 1 4728 0770 0

OWG 5ISBN: 978 1 78096 849 0

OWG 8ISBN: 978 1 78200 635 0

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Secret SantaA card game of festive feuds for 4 to 8 playersDesigner: Duncan MolloyIllustrator: Lauren Dawson aka IguanamouthAvailable: October 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1463 0Price: £9.99 / $14.95 / CAN $17.95Format: Card Game

At Christmas, it’s important to remember that it’s better to give gifts than to receive them. But what’s better than that, is to be the best.

Be the first to give away every gift you’ve got to win the round. Some gifts trump others but good presents are rare, and a big stack of stuff is always exciting. Mix things up with Santa’s Elves and Christmas Carol, give away all of your Gold Rings, and try not to get stuck with the Fruitcake.

Secret Santa is a festive trick-taking game of proving to friends and family that you’re a better person than they are.

The game features over 80 beautifully illustrated cards of everything from Scrooge and the humble Fruitcake to a Partridge in a Pear Tree, and also includes a score sheet for crowning a winner of the festive season.

Tiny Games for HomeDesigner: Hide&SeekIllustrator: Paulina GanucheauAvailable: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1394 7Price: £4.99 / $7.95 / CAN $8.95Format: Hardback, 48pp

Tiny Games for WorkDesigner: Hide&SeekIllustrator: Paulina GanucheauAvailable: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1395 4Price: £4.99 / $7.95 / CAN $8.95Format: Hardback, 48pp

From game-changing game designers Hide&Seek come tons of brand new games for real-world play. Designed to give the maximum amount of fun for the minimum amount of rule-reading, Tiny Games will let you find the perfect game for whatever situation you’re in. All you need to play is this book, and the stuff that’s around you.Friends optional.

Games for ad-breaks, games for toast, games for sticky notes and coffee runs. Whether you’re feeling creative or competitive, silly or energetic, we’ve got you covered.

Cucumber RacingPlayers: 2+Do you have a cucumber?In this game, you put a slice of cucumber on your forehead. Then, using only your face, you race to wriggle it into your waiting mouth...

You’re going to need at least one thin slice of cucumber for every player. Cut them and put them on a plate in between all the players. In a moment, you’re all going to take your turn at racing. On your turn, put the cucumber ON YOUR FOREHEAD.

Using only your facial muscles, you need to move it into your mouth. If you drop it, start again (with a new slice if you like). The fastest player wins!

HOME

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T I N Y G A M E S

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T I N Y G A M E S

THE CARD GAME OF FESTIVE FEUDS

2-4

30-45minutes

Contents:• Map of Britain• 40 Cards• 63 Wooden Pieces• 32 Counters• Cloth Draw Bag• Rule Booklet• Morded Expansion

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The King is DeadDesigner: Peer SylvesterCover Illustrator: Peter Dennis Available: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1393 0Price: £19.99 / $24.95 / CAN $29.99Format: Board Game

King Arthur is dead. The nation is divided. The Saxons are coming.

Now, more than ever, Britain needs a ruler who can unite the kingdom, but who will take the crown? In this unique area control game players work behind the scenes, marshalling their limited resources to give power to competing factions and gain influence within their ranks. Players owe loyalty only to themselves, and are free to shift their allegiances as they see fit. Whoever has the most influence over the strongest faction will take the crown. But be careful – too much infighting will give the Saxons an opening and put the entire nation is at risk.

The King is Dead is a board game of politics and power struggles in Arthurian Britain which works equally well with 2, 3 or 4 players.

Stake your claim to the throne and remember: it’s not the power you have that defines a great leader, it’s how you use it.

Includes a full Mordred expansion.

They Come UnseenDesigner: Commander Andy BenfordCover Illustrator: Adam ToobeyAvailable: October 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1396 1Price: £39.99 / $49.95 / CAN $58.00Format: Board Game

Submarines and surface fleets battle for Cold War dominance! NATO players must use their submarines to sneak troops into enemy ports, destroying vital strategic targets, while the Soviet team deploys a surface fleet to hunt down the subs and protect their crucial supply lines.

Designed by retired Royal Navy Officer and submarine commander Andy Benford, and developed deep beneath the waves, They Come Unseen is an asymmetrical strategy game of bluff and deception that uses two boards, one for action on the surface, seen by both players, and one for movement underwater, seen only by the submarine commanders. The game also comes with specially designed control panels to help keep track of vital information such as fuel, ammunition and current cruising depth.

2-5

60-120minutes

Contents:• 2 Submarine pieces & dashboards• 2 Destroyer pieces & dashboards• 3 logistics ships• 2 sonar arcs• Large playing board• Deep Board• Playing screen• Ice station cards• 12 Mortar Bomb pieces• Punchboard containing counters and player aids

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INTRODUCING OSPREY’S FIRST BOARD GAMES

The Wars of AtlantisAuthor: Phil MastersIllustrator: José Daniel Cabrera Peña and Rocio Espin Pinar Available: July 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0932 2Price: £10.99 / $17.95 / CAN $21.50Format: Paperback, 80pp

On the very edge of recorded history, the fabled island of Atlantis formed the centre of a vast and powerful empire. From there, the divinely-descended

lords of the western ocean made war on the rest of the world, until a brave resistance drove them back, and the gods punished them for their hubris. In that last cataclysmic struggle between gods and mortals the whole island continent was cast into the sea.

For the first time, this book reconstructs the fact and fiction of that lost age of gods and heroes, including the political organization of the Atlantean Empire, the equipment and tactics of the armies of Atlantis and their enemies, and the stories of the great wars themselves, from the early struggles between Atlantean colonies and the Amazons of North Africa to the final and catastrophic counter-invasion of Atlantis by the peoples of Europe and Asia.

Dwarf WarfareAuthor: Chris PramasIllustrator: Hauke KockCover Artist: Darren Tan Available: October 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1053 3Price: £9.99 / $14.95 / CAN $17.95Format: Paperback, 64pp

Despite their short stature, Dwarves are amongst the fiercest and most feared fighters of all the races. Thanks to their great strength and stamina, Dwarves

march to battle in thick armor and carrying numerous heavy weapons. This book compiles all of the information known about these grim warriors and how they practice war. From an initial examination of the fighting methods of the individual Dwarf soldier, it expands to look at how they do battle in small companies and vast armies. It covers all of their troop types from the axe men that form the front lines of battle to their deadly accurate crossbowmen, and noting their specialist troops such as their famous siege-engineers. Also examined are their tactics in specific situations such as underground fighting and fighting in mountainous terrain. Finally, the book examines a few specific battles in great detail in order to fully demonstrate the Dwarven way of war.

The Headless Horseman of Sleepy HollowAuthor: Mark LathamIllustrator: Alan LathwellAvailable: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0797 7Price: £11.99 / $18.95 / CAN $22.95Format: Paperback, 80pp

The legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of the great tales of American folklore, supposedly stemming from Washington Irving’s famous short story.

But what if there was more to the ghostly fable than meets the eye? What if Irving’s account was based on fact? And what if the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow was not unique, but merely one of a strange line of malevolent spirits sighted across the world, bringing misfortune to all that witness them?

Within this book you will find long-forgotten lore about the headless spirits that have plagued mankind for centuries, and perhaps even now seek ingress into our world. The Headless Horseman, and others like him, is at large in the dark places of the world, and should one encounter such a revenant, it is said that tragedy will surely follow…

Also availableORC WARFARE

978 1 4728 1050 2

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War of the WorldsThe Anglo-Martian war of 1895

Author: Mike BurtonIllustrator: Alan Lathwell Available: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1156 1Price: £9.99 / $17.95 / CAN $21.50Format: Paperback, 80pp

On one terrible night in August 1895, the world changed forever. Grey metal cylinders, launched from Mars and hurtled through space, came crashing

down in southern England. The next 15 days were marked by courage and despair, hope and shock, defeat and fleeting victory as Queen Victoria’s army struggled to contain the terrible alien threat. The war, man against machines from space, was fought without mercy on both sides. And the outcome would be decided by the smallest of things…

This book covers the whole of the Anglo-Martian conflict, beginning with a look at the relative strengths and weakness of the two armies, both English and alien, and comparing the different strategies employed. It then takes a detailed look at the actual military struggle, covering all of the major engagements between the tripods and Victoria’s army.

The Cthulhu Wars The United States Battles Against the MythosAuthor: Kenneth HiteIllustrator: Darren TanAvailable: November 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0787 8Price: £11.99 / $18.95 / CAN $22.95Format: Paperback, 80pp

From the Patriots’ raid on the necromancer Joseph Curwen to the Special Forces’ assault on Leng in 2007,

this unique document reveals the secret and terrible struggle between the United States and the supernatural forces of Cthulhu. In this war, immortal cultists worship other-dimensional entities and plot to raise an army of the dead. Incomprehensible undersea intelligences infiltrate and colonize American seaports, and alien races lurk beneath the ice of Antarctica and high in the mountains of Afghanistan. It is only through constant vigilance and violence that the earth has surived. Also included in the book are threat reports describing the indescribable – humanity’s deadliest foes serving Cthulhu and the other Great Old Ones. Strange times are upon us, the world is changing, and even death may die – but, until then, the war continues.

Bug HuntsSurviving and Combating the Alien Menace

Author: Mark LathamIllustrator: aRU-MORCover Artist: Darren TanAvailable: October 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1071 7Price: £11.99 / $18.95 / CAN $22.95Format: Paperback, 80pp

They said there were no monsters. But there are.

It is the 23rd Century. Across the cold void of space, alien monsters prey on humanity: infesting generation-ships, destroying colonies, and transforming humans into hosts for their foul spoor. From the insectoid hive-beasts of Klaatu, to the xenomorphic parasites of the outer rim, this book contains the sum total of human knowledge of the myriad forms of alien menace; where to find them…and how to kill them.

In this guide you will find details of mankind’s greatest champions, the marines of STAR Industries. With their state-of-the-art technology and advanced combat tactics developed over a century of warfare, the STAR marines battle the alien, wherever it may strike.

ALSO AVAILABLE FROM OSPREY ADVENTURES

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Dinosaur HunterThe Ultimate Guide to the Biggest GameAuthor & Illustrator: Steve WhiteAvailable: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1282 7Price: £7.99 / $12.95 / CAN $15.95Format: Paperback, 240pp

Congratulations - your application for a Mesozoic hunting license has been successful!

Before you travel back in time and charge headlong into a pack of prehistoric big game, we strongly advise that you read the following guidebook. It will provide you with information crucial to success – and survival! You will learn the basic facts of the geography, climate and environmental conditions of the three periods that make up the exciting Mesozoic era. The book then covers the huge variety of dinosaurs that stalk these times, giving tips on identification, tracking, and the best weapons to bring them down! Let the hunt begin! Fortune and Glory

A Treasure Hunter’s HandbookAuthor: David McInteeIllustrator: Hauke KockAvailable: August 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 0784 7 Price: £8.99 / $14.95 / CAN $17.95Format: Paperback, 240pp

So you have decided to give up the rat race for the life of an international treasure hunter, but you are not quite sure where to start. Well then, this book is for you!

Fortune and Glory tells you all you need to know in order to set off on an epic quest for the great lost treasures of history. Starting with a quick exploration of the history of treasure hunting and a look at the kit that you will need, it then delves into a survey of the 'lost' treasures that are out there just waiting to be claimed. Continent by continent, the book covers the legends of hidden locations like El Dorado, King Solomon's Mines, and the Sanctuary of Thoth, as well as covering the most illustrious lost artifacts such as the Holy Grail, the Hanjo Masamune, and the Crystal Skulls. If your interest lies with the loot rather than the history, the book also discusses Nazi gold, pirate treasure, and the hoard of Dracula. This book is your first step towards becoming the pistol-toting, fedora-wearing international tomb robber and treasure hunter you've always dreamt of being!

The Science-Fiction and Fantasy Quiz BookAuthor: Joseph A. McCulloughIllustrator: Miguel CoimbraAvailable: September 2015ISBN: 978 1 4728 1083 0Price: £8.99 / $12.95 / CAN $15.95Format: Hardback, 260pp

What character did Peter Cushing portray in Star Wars: A New Hope? Who was Arwen Evenstar’s mother? According to Isaac Asimov, what is third law of robotics?

Which barbarian hero carried a sword called ‘Graywand’? How well do you know the who, where, what, when and how of

science-fiction and fantasy? Do you dare face the ultimate test of knowledge drawn from the greatest novels, movies, comic books, video games and televisions shows in the history of the genre? Complete with questions ranging from easy to nearly impossible and including true or false, multiple choice, and fill-in-the blank sections, this is a fun-filled gift book for all lovers of science fiction and fantasy.

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Other series still available – download a full stock list today!Aviation Elite UnitsAviation Elite Units provide a full combat history of a fighter or bomber unit that earned particular distinction in action, providing an authentic insight into the world’s greatest units, celebrating the men and machines that won each unit its ‘elite’ status. Featuring at least 30 specially commissioned aircraft profile drawings and illustrated throughout with contemporary black and white photographs Aviation Elite Units series are a valuable reference resource for military model makers, remote control model makers, and aviation history enthusiasts.

Battle OrdersBattle Orders studies the organization, actions and strength of a major unit in battle, describing elements of doctrine, training, tactics, equipment and deployment. Breaking down military units into their constituent parts it reveals how individual fighting strength, combat missions and command decisions determine the course of major battles and wars. Developed by a team of military professionals, academics, and strategists, Battle Orders contain detailed orders of battle, tables of organization and equipment, maps, charts and contemporary photographs, making it ideal for historians, armchair generals, wargamers and military enthusiasts.

Essential HistoriesEach Essential Histories book studies the origins, politics, fighting and repercussions of one major war or theatre of war, from both military and civilian perspectives. Spanning 3,000 years of human conflict, most major wars are covered, from the Punic Wars to the Iran–Iraq War. Featuring full colour maps, diagrams and photography throughout, each book in Osprey’s Essential Histories series also includes pictures of contemporary artwork and artefacts, providing a full visual appreciation what it was like to live through each war. Essential Histories are an important reference resource for students, teachers, academics, history enthusiasts and hobbyists.

Modelling Manuals and Osprey Modelling and Modelling MasterclassOsprey’s Modelling Books are complete guides to building, detailing, converting and customizing models. From handy hints for beginners, to creative projects for advanced model makers, each book uncovers the secrets of successful model making. They are written by some of the biggest names in the world of modelling and feature specially commissioned step-by-step photographs which illustrate each stage of the process from basic construction through to the finishing touches, with colour reference cards to help you to achieve a perfect finish.

STOCK LIST JULY – DECEMBER 2015

JULY978 1 4728 0837 0 ACE 127 Polish Spitfire Aces £13.99 $22.95 CAN $26.95978 1 4728 0741 0 BOLT 12 Bolt Action: Germany Strikes! £19.99 $29.95 CAN $35.00978 1 4728 0690 1 CAM 282 Leyte 1944 £14.99 $21.95 CAN $25.95978 1 4728 1150 9 CAM 285 Lewes and Evesham 1264–65 £14.99 $21.95 CAN $25.95978 1 4728 0570 6 COM 110 Dornier Do 24 Units £13.99 $22.95 CAN $26.95978 1 4728 0932 2 DARK The Wars of Atlantis £10.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50978 1 4728 0504 1 FGV Frostgrave: Fantasy Wargames in the Frozen City £14.99 $24.95 CAN $28.95978 1 4728 0586 7 FOR 108 Germany’s East Wall in World War II £11.99 $18.95 CAN $22.50978 1 4728 1508 8 GNM Osprey Military History Calendar 2016 £9.99 $14.99 CAN $17.99978 1 4728 1061 8 GNM The Pacific War: From Pearl Harbor to Okinawa £6.99 $9.95 CAN $11.95978 1 4728 1131 8 GNM The Regiment: 15 Years in the SAS £19.99 $25.95 CAN $30.00978 1 4728 0684 0 MAA 501 Armies of the Greek-Turkish War 1919–22 £9.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50978 1 4728 0619 2 NVG 227 Ottoman Navy Warships 1914–18 £9.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50

AUGUST978 1 4728 0944 5 AVG 21 Avro Lancaster £11.99 $18.95 CAN $22.50978 1 4728 0746 5 CAM 283 Cowpens 1781 £14.99 $21.95 CAN $25.95978 1 4728 0693 2 CAM 284 Guadalcanal 1942–43 £14.99 $21.95 CAN $25.95978 1 4728 0899 8 CBT 13 US Marine vs NVA Soldier – Vietnam 1967–68 £11.99 $18.95 CAN $22.50978 1 4728 0887 5 CMD 31 Attila the Hun £11.99 $18.95 CAN $19.95978 1 4728 0573 7 COM 111 A-10 Thunderbolt II Units of Operation Enduring Freedom 2008-14 £13.99 $22.95 CAN $26.95978 1 4728 0760 1 DUE 70 Panzer IV vs Sherman £12.99 $18.95 CAN $22.50978 1 4728 0893 6 ELI 207 World War II Partisan Warfare in Italy £11.99 $18.95 CAN $22.50978 1 4728 0795 3 GNM Germany Ascendant: The Eastern Front 1915 £20.00 $29.95 CAN $35.00978 1 4728 0628 4 NVG 223 T-64 Battle Tank £9.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50978 1 4728 0784 7 OBK Fortune and Glory: A Treasure Hunter’s Handbook £8.99 $14.95 CAN $17.95978 1 4728 0902 5 WPN 41 The Flamethrower £12.99 $18.95 CAN $22.50

SEPTEMBER978 1 4728 0743 4 CAM 286 Catalaunian Fields AD 451 £14.99 $21.95 CAN $25.95978 1 4728 0846 2 COM 112 Luftwaffe Mistel Composite Bomber Units £13.99 $22.95 CAN $27.95978 1 4728 0797 7 DARK The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow £11.99 $18.95 CAN $22.95978 1 4728 0849 3 DUE 69 US Navy Carrier Aircraft vs IJN Yamato Class Battleships £12.99 $18.95 CAN $22.99978 1 4728 0935 3 GNM American Knights £18.99 $25.95 CAN $30.00978 1 4728 0631 4 GNM Finland at War: the Winter War 1939–40 £25.00 $34.95 CAN $41.00

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978 1 4728 0728 1 MAA 502 Byzantine Naval Forces 1261–1461 £9.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50978 1 4728 0824 0 NVG 224 Polish Armor of the Blitzkrieg £9.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50978 1 4728 0827 1 NVG 225 Republican Roman Warships 509–27 BC £9.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50978 1 4728 1282 7 OBK Dinosaur Hunter £7.99 $12.95 CAN $15.95978 1 4728 1083 0 OBK The Science-Fiction and Fantasy Quiz Book £8.99 $12.95 CAN $15.95978 1 4728 1393 0 OSG The King is Dead £19.99 $24.95 CAN $29.99978 1 4728 1394 7 OSG Tiny Games for Home £4.99 $7.95 CAN $8.95978 1 4728 1395 4 OSG Tiny Games for Work £4.99 $7.95 CAN $8.95978 1 4728 0781 6 OWG 10 Black Ops – Tactical Espionage Wargaming £11.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50

OCTOBER978 1 4728 0489 1 AVG 23 Messerschmitt Bf 109 E–F series £11.99 $18.95 CAN $22.99978 1 4728 0740 3 BOLT 11 Bolt Action: Empires in Flames £19.99 $29.95 CAN $35.00978 1 4728 0884 4 CAM 287 Tippecanoe 1811 £14.99 $21.95 CAN $25.95978 1 4728 1240 7 CBT 14 German Infantryman vs British Infantryman – France 1940 £11.99 $18.95 CAN $22.99978 1 4728 1442 5 CMD 32 Gustaf Mannerheim £11.99 $18.95 CAN $22.99978 1 4728 1071 7 DARK Bug Hunts £11.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50978 1 4728 0852 3 DUE 68 RAF Fighters vs Luftwaffe Bombers £12.99 $18.95 CAN $22.50978 1 4728 1529 3 GNM The First Blitz £14.99 $19.99 CAN $23.99978 1 4728 0812 7 GNM The History of the Panzerwaffe Volume I: 1939–43 £30.00 $39.95 CAN $48.00978 1 4728 1297 1 GNM Warriors £9.99 $14.95 CAN $17.95978 1 4728 0687 1 MAA 503 Hitler’s Russian & Cossack Allies 1941–45 £9.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50978 1 4728 0501 0 NVG 226 Commonwealth Cruisers 1939–45 £9.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50978 1 4728 1053 3 OBK Dwarf Warfare £9.99 $14.95 CAN $17.95978 1 4728 1463 0 OSG Secret Santa £9.99 $14.95 CAN $17.95978 1 4728 1396 1 OSG They Come Unseen £39.99 $49.95 CAN $58.00978 1 4728 0890 5 RAID 33 U-47 in Scapa Flow – The Sinking of HMS Royal Oak 1939 £11.99 $18.95 CAN $22.99978 1 4728 0657 4 WPN 42 Winchester Lever-Action Rifles £12.99 $18.95 CAN $22.99

NOVEMBER978 1 78096 295 5 ACE 114 Ki-61 and Ki-100 Aces £13.99 $22.95 CAN $27.95978 1 4728 0896 7 CAM 288 Taranto 1940 £14.99 $21.95 CAN $25.95978 1 4728 1333 6 CBT 16 Templar Knight vs Mamluk Warrior – 1218–50 £11.99 $18.95 CAN $22.99978 1 4728 0866 0 COM 113 F-51 Mustang Units of the Korean War £13.99 $22.95 CAN $27.95978 1 4728 0787 8 DARK The Cthulhu Wars – The United States’ Battles Against the Mythos £11.99 $18.95 CAN $22.95978 1 4728 1156 1 DARK War of the Worlds £9.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50978 1 4728 0678 9 ELI 208 US Marine Corps Recon and Special Operations Uniforms & Equipment 2000–15 £11.99 $18.95 CAN $22.50978 1 4728 0947 6 ELI 209 Victory 1945: Western Allied Troops in Northwest Europe £11.99 $18.95 CAN $22.50978 1 4728 1409 8 FGV Frostgrave: Thaw of the Lich Lord £9.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50978 1 4728 1146 2 FOR 109 The Atlantic Wall (3) £11.99 $18.95 CAN $22.99978 1 4728 0774 8 GNM Atlas of the Eastern Front £40.00 $60.00 CAN $68.00978 1 4728 0910 0 GNM Don’t Hurry Me Down to Hades: Soldiers and Families in America’s Civil War £8.99 $12.95 CAN $15.95978 1 4728 1060 1 GNM Rising Sun, Falling Skies: The disastrous Java Sea Campaign of World War II £8.99 $14.95 CAN $17.95978 1 4728 0950 6 NVG 228 German Commerce Raiders 1914–18 £9.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50978 1 4728 0809 7 OWG 11 Honours of War – Wargames Rules for the Seven Years’ War £11.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50978 1 4728 0962 9 WAR 177 Rhodesian Light Infantryman 1961–80 £11.99 $18.95 CAN $22.99978 1 4728 0591 1 WPN 43 The Composite Bow £12.99 $18.95 CAN $22.99978 1 4728 1509 5 OGCP The In & Out £40.00 $59.95 CAN $68.00

DECEMBER978 1 78200 798 2 ACE 124 Arctic Bf 109 and Bf 110 Aces £13.99 $22.95 CAN $26.95978 1 4728 0576 8 DUE 67 Spitfire II/V vs Bf 109F £12.99 $18.95 CAN $22.50978 1 4728 0699 4 NVG 229 US Standard-type Battleships 1941–45 (2) £9.99 $17.95 CAN $21.50

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32

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